Crimson
by NeverlandWanderer14
Summary: We all know that there's a time that we need to grow up. Hannah Williams knew this well. After getting expelled from school, it was deemed that her childhood was over...When she finds herself on an island of "Lost Boys", she comes to realize that her prayers had finally been answered. Or had they? Facing her fears, she comes to face her biggest challenge of all; Peter Pan.
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

 **? Perspective:**

I tapped my fingernails against the cherry wood desk as I felt his pale eyes staring straight through my soul. The constant pouring rain outside left the ceiling dripping with water as a bucket sat on the floor to catch the runoff.

"Would you stop that?" he snapped.

I stopped tapping and looked up to meet his cold, heartless eyes. Principal Grant; the worst possible man to be given a job working within a hundred feet of children.

"Oh I'm sorry, is that annoying you?" I questioned sarcastically.

Principal Grant leaned forward out of his chair, hovering over his desk.

"Very much so" he scowled.

I cocked a brow as he began to sit back down in his chair. He looked down toward the paperwork on his desk as he began to fill it out. I sat back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling. Noticing all of the blotchy yellow stains that looked like coffee, I realized how great it was going to be not ever having to set foot in this sad excuse for a high school again. It was only October of my junior year and I had already managed to get myself suspended twice. Well, three times if you include today's fun activity. And we all know what that means. This had been the third school I've been to in my high school career, and I'm afraid this school just isn't the one for me. I looked back to Principal Grant who was still buried in paperwork. I couldn't help it. I was bored. I waited a moment in silence before I started to tap my pointer finger on the desk ever so slightly. At first it seemed he was trying to ignore it, but when I saw his jaw clench, I knew I had done my job. I grinned at the thought of me getting on his nerves.

"You won't be smiling when your uncle gets here. Shall I make you tell him the big news yourself?" he spat.

He crossed his arms and looked at me for an answer.

I shrugged my shoulders;

"I don't think that will be necessary. After all, I won't have to see you again. So it's a bonus for both of us."

I chuckled as his face distorted and he stood up.

"Why you little—"

"—Principal Grant" I heard my uncle's voice as he knocked on the open door and walked into the office.

I silently rejoiced that I'd finally be rescued.

"Ah yes, David, we meet again…unfortunately" Principal Grant sighed.

Whoa, they're on a first name basis already. I'm so proud.

"Please, take a seat" he gestured to the empty chair next to me.

Uncle David soon sat next to me, where out of the corner of his eye I could tell he was giving me a disappointed glare. I'm not sure if he's going to bother giving me the 'you have such a bright future ahead of you' speech, or the 'I've spent two years trying to raise you and I guess I've failed as a guardian' guilt trip.

"Now I'm sure you know that I didn't call you in here because Hannah has won some sort of award-"

"Ahem" I interrupted, not letting his petty insult slide.

Principal Grant rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying, it has come to my attention that Hannah has received another suspension—"

"Wait whoa whoa, what? A suspension? For what?" my uncle cut him off.

I slowly slid down in my chair, knowing that this was going to take a while. It wasn't long before I was twiddling my thumbs. Principal Grant stood up from his chair and walked over towards a nearby filing cabinet. Opening the second drawer down, he pulled a creme filing folder almost three inches thick. As he did so I noticed how thin the other folders were. They were practically empty, and mine was bursting open with papers and records…records of my detentions and suspensions…He pulled another random folder that wasn't nearly as thick as mine but also wasn't empty. Principal Grant walked back over to the desk we were seated at and dropped the two folders side by side in front of my uncle.

"This—" Principal grant pointed towards the random folder.

"Is the average students' disciplinary record over four years."

I think I know where this is going…He then looked over at my folder with disgust.

"…And this…is Hannah's folder over a year…"

My uncle and I examined the two folders. My folder was at least two inches higher than the other folder. I feel so accomplished. My uncle reached over and grabbed my folder with two hands.

"There's just no way…This must be a mistake" he said as he opened the folder and went through the records.

"David you and I both know you've been in this office more than just a few times. You must understand that this sort of behavior is not taken lightly in our district."

My uncle swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Well what has she done today to get herself suspended?" he questioned.

Principal Grant cocked a brow and looked over at me, practically staring at my soul. Okay so what I did may have been a little extreme…but it was just what I needed to get out of this place.

He clenched his jaw as he spoke;

"Today, Hannah skipped fourth period to work on a…what should I call it…project?"

He opened the drawer to his desk and pulled out photos and dropped them in front of us. The photos were pictures of what I had spent all afternoon accomplishing. On the bland, boring wall in the auditorium was now a large mural. Using many dark colors and designs, the words 'they don't listen' were painted. I guess I didn't make myself clear enough. My uncle looked at the photos in awe.

"…You did this?"

He turned and looked me in the eyes. I nodded my head, not ashamed at what I had done. He shook his head.

"So then what does this mean? How long of a suspension are we talking?" my uncle asked.

Principal Grant folded his hand on the desk.

"Well first, Hannah must report this Saturday at 9 A.M to clean up the mess she made in the auditorium—"

"Mess?" I interrupted.

"What I did isn't a mess! It's art! You can't just—"

"Ahem—" Principal Grant coughed.

I silenced myself and rolled my eyes.

"As I was saying, Hannah needs to clean 'it' up Saturday morning. And as far as her schooling goes…"

Here it comes…

"As of today, Hannah is no longer an enrolled student at this high school."

I swear I thought my uncle was going to have a heart attack.

"You're expelling her?! For this?" my uncle nearly exploded.

Principal Grant stiffened;

"Hannah has broken countless rules. We simply can't allow this act of misbehaving to slide."

Uncle David clenched his fists as he tried.

"Mr. Grant, there must be something we can do" he begged desperately.

"I'm sorry, but there really isn't anything that can be done. Hannah can clean out her locker when she comes to clean up her 'project'. At this point, I suggest homeschooling. Or maybe even military school" he replied as he stared at me coldly.

Military school? Really? I sat in silence as I heard my uncle release a sigh.

"Alright. Thank you, Principal Grant" my uncle stood up and shook his hand.

Principal Grant grinned;

"It's my pleasure."

He looked at me as I narrowed my eyes at him. I wanted so badly to smack him upside the head. But sadly all I would get in return is a smack upside my head from my uncle. Uncle David soon signaled me to get up and walk. My uncle in front of me, we began to walk out of the office. Letting my uncle have a little walking space in front of me, I stopped at the doorway of Principal Grant's office. I turned around, smiled, and gave him the middle finger. And boy did it feel good wiping the smile off of that jerk's face. Quickly, I turned around and caught up to my uncle who was walking quite fast and in a frenzy. I figured if I gave him a few minutes to cool down then maybe I'd be able to have a somewhat decent conversation with him. As we exited the front doors of the school, my uncle ripped loose.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Expelled? Again? When will this stop Hannah? You're lucky they didn't press charges or get involved with the police."

We both continued to walk as I answered;

"I know, I know, I get it. I'm dumb and I should know better."

Uncle David used his keys to unlock his truck. I opened the door and got in the front seat. My uncle did the same as he continued his rant.

"No. I won't accept that Hannah. This wasn't an accident, you did this deliberately. You went out of your way to get in trouble—"

"Maybe I just want my voice to be heard" I interrupted harshly.

I sat back in the car seat and clenched my fist. I spoke;

"And I get it. You're mad that I vandalized school property."

My uncle was quiet for a moment as he sighed. He began to put the key in the ignition.

"I'm not angry because you vandalized school property" he spoke not looking at me.

Say what now?

He finally met my eyes;

"I'm angry because it was beautiful…"

I looked to him confused. He started the car and began to drive out of the parking lot. He shook his head and pulled onto the road. Before I knew it he started to interrogate me.

"What did you mean by 'they don't listen'…?" he asked.

I sat a moment and shook my head from side to side. I would just rather not get into it with him right now.

"It's nothing…" I sighed.

Surprisingly my uncle dismissed it and continued. Typically he would poke and prod until I would eventually get up and walk away out of anger. My uncle started up again;

"You have such a gift Hannah. But you're just wasting it by constantly getting in trouble. I don't even know where to go anymore. The next closest high school is 15 miles away from home. At this rate you're gonna have to straighten up if you want a steady career. Next year you'll be a senior applying for scholarships. Do you even know what you want to go into?"

I sat for a moment not knowing what to say. Anytime someone mentioned college to me I'd immediately change the subject. I'm only 16, why should I have to worry about this now? I still have some time…I still hadn't answered, so my uncle continued;

"You always seem to be hanging around the library, do you have an interest in reading or writing?"

Desperately not wanting to talk about this I said;

"Yeah I like to write and stuff."

What Uncle David didn't know was that I went to the library to listen to the stories. Every day in the afternoon the librarian would read stories to a small group of children. Typically I would pull a random book off the shelf and sit down at a table. I would pretend to read when in reality I was listening to the stories and fairytales being told. Everything from 'Jack and the Beanstalk' to 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Cinderella', I just enjoyed listening to them. Once in a while it was nice to have a false sense of reality. Eventually the librarian noticed I just happened to be there whenever she did storytime, so every once in a while when she was busy I would read to the children. I had only done it a handful of times, but I really enjoyed it. Though I highly doubt there's a college degree for storytelling.

"Well then maybe you should go into journalism—"

"Do we really need to talk about this right now?" I interrupted.

I sighed and tightened my grip on the armrest.

"We're gonna have to talk about this eventually Hannah…" Uncle David tried.

I groaned;

"But I still have time to figure all of this out. I don't have to decide at this very second."

I had barely noticed I was clenching my jaw at the very thought of college. I could barely tolerate high school, let alone the others who attended it.

"If I don't sit you down and talk to you about what your plan for your future is you're going to end up as a bum on the street painting graffiti on abandoned churches."

I let what my uncle said sink in for a minute.

"Now would that be so bad?" I questioned.

He looked to me distastefully as I continued;

"If it makes me happy and I'm expressing myself, does it really matter?"

"You won't be happy" he chuckled.

"How do you know that? Why can't I get a say in my life? You're just deciding my future without my input. You wonder why I can't stand talking to you about college…" I snapped.

At this point we were already almost home.

"It's because I know what can make you happy; a stable job earning a yearly wage of—"

"You really don't know what I want" I scoffed.

Uncle David went quiet as he sat back in his seat.

"Guess I should probably start researching to see if any colleges would accept you…"

Now I was angry. He didn't understand. Nobody does. It's like he wasn't listening to a single word I was saying.

"I'm sorry I don't have a baseball scholarship like Tommy" I said in an angered and sarcastic tone.

My uncle looked taken back.

"I'm just trying to do what's best for you" he retorted with a frown.

I chuckled;

"Have you ever asked me what I wanted?"

I looked over to him with a sarcastic grin as he remained quiet. It was now that we pulled up in the driveway as my uncle put the car in park.

"You know there's going to be times where you're going to have to do things you don't want to. Life isn't fun and games, unless you want to end up in prison."

So that's what this is about. He's assuming I'm going to end up going to jail before I'm twenty. I unbuckled myself from my seatbelt.

"Are you saying I'm going to end up robbing a gas station or something?" I asked annoyed.

My uncle rolled his eyes;

"All I'm saying is that there's a point where you need to grow up."

He began to unbuckle his seatbelt.

Of course that's what every grown-up tells a child. They're practically screaming 'waste your youth worrying about your future! Taxes and mortgages are way more important than living your life!' I just want to be adventurous and to be myself, but apparently that's not good enough.

"What if I don't want to grow up?" I said.

He looked over at me in confusion and chuckled;

"Sorry kiddo, can't help you with that one. It's inevitable. You'll turn eighteen and become a legal adult. Then say hello to bills and taxes and goodbye to your hopes and dreams."

I can't believe he said that…My heart sank…I lunged my hand toward the car door handle.

I yelled in a frenzy;

"You can't make me!"

I pulled the handle and jumped out of the car. My uncle yelled after me;

"Hannah…Hannah!"

Storming through the front door of the house I slammed it behind me, not even bothering to go back to the truck for my backpack. I ran up the stairs to my bedroom and slammed the door right before locking it. At this point I was fuming. This hadn't been the first time I had gotten in a fight with my uncle. More often than not we were disagreeing on something. For some reason we can just never see eye to eye. For a moment I looked around my room. For the most part it was mainly empty except for the bed, the dresser, and the closet. I pretty much didn't have anything in there that wasn't a necessity. All I did was live there so there wasn't much of a point in decorating it. The only part of that room I didn't understand was the boxes of random stuff underneath my bed. Uncle David never said anything about them, so I just assumed it was some of my aunt's things he hadn't gone through. I turned and threw myself on my bed as I clenched my fists. Something about that man always brings out the worst in me. I sat up on my bed and looked in the mirror on the wall. In it was my reflection; my bright blue eyes, my fair skin accompanied by my narrow face, and my long dirty blonde hair that now reached the middle of my back. I hadn't cut it in forever since my uncle won't let me. He says that he likes it long, so he simply won't take me to a hairdresser to cut it. And there's no way in hell I'm putting a pair of scissors anywhere near my face. The more I looked at myself in the mirror the more I realized that I've gotten so old. The scary part was that I almost see my mom in myself. I hadn't thought about her in a long time, and I intend to keep it that way. It was true, I really can't stop myself from growing up. I had thought about just skipping dinner and staying in my room or possibly sneaking out, but my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a knock at the door. For a moment it was silent…until another knock surfaced along with a quiet, tender voice.

"Hey, it's just me" it spoke.

I knew exactly who it was…

I stood up from my bed and walked over to the door, leaning my back against it.

"You alone?" I asked, making sure he wouldn't be accompanied by my uncle.

For a moment it was quiet until the voice spoke again;

"Yeah I'm alone."

I sighed and rested my eyes to breathe. If there's anyone I feel like talking to now, it's him. I stood up from the door and grabbed the door handle. I turned it and opened the door. I greeted him;

"Come in."

—

A.N:

Hey guys! I feel like it's been forever since I've updated :( I truly have missed it, but I'm back! It's a fresh start! I spent a lot of time on this chapter cause I really wanted to set the overall tone. I highly recommend that if you haven't read my first book in the series "Emerald" that you do so before reading this one. It will make things much easier to understand so that I don't have to give the background of what's going on. But I can't stop y'all from being rebels so do as you please :) What do you guys think about Hannah? Is she a troublemaker? Or do you think she's just misunderstood? And who do you think came to talk to her? Let me know all of your thoughts and predictions in the comments. I'm super excited to be starting this sequel and I can't wait to hear what you guys think. I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	2. Chapter 2: The Book

Chapter 2: The Book

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

"Come in."

When I opened the door I was greeted by none other than Tommy. He almost towered over me, being I was only 5'8 and was 5'11. His chocolate brown hair was trimmed short, accompanied by his light brown eyes. He stepped in through the doorway and lounged on my already-made bed. I closed the door behind him and locked it, not wanting any uninvited guests. Tommy started off immediately;

"Are you gonna tell me what happened, or am I gonna have to keep guessing why my dad is downstairs angrily shredding your school transcripts?"

He cocked a brow and looked me in the eyes. Dang it I hate it when he does that…I walked over to the other side of my bed and threw myself onto it.

I grunted and slammed my face into a pillow.

"You're dad can be an ass" I mumbled into the pillow.

Tommy chuckled;

"Yes I am aware my dad can be a real jerk at times. Now tell me what happened this time."

As if he really needs to ask.

"Or should I let the shredded transcripts speak for themselves?" he eyed me with humor.

I scoffed;

"Oh haha real funny. At least he's not shoving college applications down your throat."

I cracked my knuckles.

"What I did wasn't even that bad" I continued as I lifted my face from the pillow.

"Let me guess, you started a chemical fire in your chemistry class?" he guessed.

I spoke;

"Nope."

"Hmm" he said.

"Pulled the fire alarm at lunch?" he suggested.

I sighed;

"No that was last year."

Tommy nodded his head;

"Ah right. Publicly humiliate the janitor for the fifth time?"

"Nah, too predictable" I said, shaking my head.

"Well, you have me stumped" Tommy admitted.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head.

"Fine, you wanna know what I did?"

Tommy was always the first person I told whenever I got into trouble. At least he won't scream at me until his face turns blue. It's happened more times than I can count with my uncle.

"Please, do tell" he raised his brows.

I sighed and rested my eyes.

I told him;

"I spray-painted a mural in the auditorium."

Tommy looked shocked.

"Really? You did that?" he exclaimed.

Please don't be disappointed…

He eyed me with a grin;

"Up top."

I rolled my eyes as we brought our hands up and high-fived. Our relationship was quite interesting if you ask me. He may be my cousin, but he's also kind of my best friend.

"So what now, another suspension? If you're not careful you're gonna get—"

"Expelled?" I interrupted.

I began to pick at my fingernails, not meeting his eyes.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that anymore. What's done is done. Can't take it back."

Tommy was quiet for a moment.

"Oh man, you got expelled again didn't you?" he questioned.

I waited a moment before speaking;

"You betchya. And 'Mr. Grumpy Pants' isn't too thrilled."

Tommy shrugged his shoulders;

"Well I mean, this is the third school you've been expelled from. I'm sure he's running out of options at this point."

Ugh…why is Tommy always right? I threw my face back into my pillow.

"Doesn't mean he has the right to tell me when I have to grow up" I mumbled once more.

At this point Tommy was taken back.

"What? He told you to grow up?! That's so uncalled for!" he exclaimed.

"Pfft, tell me about it" I groaned.

"You grow up when you want to and when you're ready, not when someone tells you to" he explained.

What is he thinking? What world is he living in?

"What do you know about growing up?" I sassed.

Obviously he's just joking around, right?

He replied with a grin;

"Plenty, if you must ask."

Tommy cocked a brow and sat up on my bed.

"You could actually call me an expert" he gloated.

I rolled my eyes and dismissed him;

"I think I'll stick with the oompa loompa that lives across the hallway from me."

I proceeded by pushing Tommy off the bed with my foot as I heard him smack onto the floor.

I laughed;

"Looks like the expert needs to learn some coordination."

Tommy groaned and eyed me from the floor.

"You can be a pain, you know that?" he sighed.

I scoffed;

"That's my job!"

I could already assume that he was rolling his eyes. He got up from the floor and stood up.

"Listen, I don't know how to really help you out with my dad except maybe just giving him some time to realize that he was being pushy. Just try to stay out of trouble until he finds you a new school, okay?"

I chuckled to myself;

"Can't make any promises."

He eyed me as he cocked a brow.

"Alright fine" I budged.

Why do I always let him guilt trip me into things?

He smirked;

"Good girl."

He began to head towards the door and opened it. I stopped him as he was closing the door behind him.

"Hey if you need me I'll be at the library" I told him.

For a moment Tommy seemed surprised.

"Since when do you read?" he questioned.

I narrowed my eyes playfully;

"Since first grade."

Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Okay 'Smarty Pants', just be back for dinner. Or else my dad will think you ran away" he grinned.

I nodded my head as he shut the door behind him. For a moment there was silence, that was until Tommy began to blare music from his room. Technically he was supposed to have moved into his college dorm by now, but all of the dorms were being redone. So I guess we're stuck with him for another month or two. I should I say in a month or two it'll just be Uncle David and I. I shiver at the thought of me having to deal with him by myself. Maybe I could just get a job at a gas station and spray paint graffiti on the side of the building during my breaks. It's amazing how my uncle barely knows me. He thinks I would actually vandalize other people's property…Well, actually, I kind of already have. But I wouldn't consider anyone that works in the school district human. They're all just mindless zombies to me. No emotion, no creativity, they're just…there. I looked over at my bedside table with the clock sitting on top of it. The clock read 3:30, which meant that if I wanted to catch the storytelling I'd have to get going.

Ugh who am I kidding? I'm a child stuck in a teenager's body. Or I guess you could say I'm a 'kid at heart'.

I rolled over to the end of my bed so I could reach my feet to the floor without falling face first like an idiot. I noticed that throughout my rampage into the house I guess I forgot to take off my shoes. Fine by me, I don't have to go downstairs and cross paths with my evil uncle. I figured I wouldn't need anything for the library so I walked over to my window. My room was on the second story of the house but I didn't really mind. There is always a way back in if you look hard enough. I slid the window open and felt the cool autumn breeze against my skin. For Wisconsin I'm honestly surprised we're not submerged in a foot of snow. Literally sometimes the sun just decides it doesn't want to make a special appearance so it'll drop like twenty degrees in a day. Regardless, I sat on the ledge and prepared myself to jump. Across from my window was a large tree suitable for me to break my fall. Feeling a short adrenaline rush, I jumped to the tree and held on tight. Slowly I climbed down to the point where I could just drop myself off. My feet landing on the ground, I was alive. Can't go to college if I'm dead, right?

Ugh…speaking of which…

I glanced through the glass french doors checking to see if my uncle was anywhere in sight. Not to my surprise, he wasn't anywhere I could see him. My bet's on him still shredding my transcripts. Can't say I blame him. I get in trouble a lot and military school is most likely my next stop. But at least I won't have to deal with him. Who knows, maybe I'll actually grow up a little like he wants. The coast being clear, I started for the sidewalk. The library was only a few short blocks from the house, so it would only take about ten minutes to get there. Along the way I noticed all of the dying trees and the red and orange leaves that crumpled underneath my feet as I walked across them. It's not too long until the leaves will blow away and the trees will die completely from freezing. The ground will soon be covered with snow and another year will end. One year closer…Sometimes I wish I wouldn't be shamed for not wanting to have to deal with the things that come with being an adult. Bills, taxes, grocery lists, it just sounds boring. Definitely doesn't sound like the life for me. As if I have a choice though. I guess it's just the way life has to be. Not too long after leaving the house I stood before the library. The building itself was quite old and from what I've heard the books are even older. Walking up the steps I entered the library. It was mostly quiet with a few hushed voices here and there. Obviously the children aren't here yet, otherwise the quiet scene wouldn't be so quiet. Strolling over to the 'Teens' section, I began my search. What book shall I pretend to read today? I traced my fingers along the spines of the books as I read each title. Some of the titles included "Romeo and Juliet", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", and who could forget "Twilight"? Though none of these really appealed to me. If I'm going to fake read something at least make it believable enough that I'd actually read it.

"—Looking for a good read Miss Taylor?"

I turned toward the source of the voice, who happened to be the librarian; Mrs. Robin. She was restocking books from a cart only a few feet away from me. She was a very kind woman with bright blue eyes, red rosy cheeks, and an English accent. I don't know exactly how old she was, but she was definitely older than seventy. But even for seventy she seemed to have it all together. It seems as though she was almost like a child. She was very cheerful and always had a smile on her face.

"You could say that. I'm always looking for a good story" I told her with a smile.

It was hard not to smile around her. She could brighten anyone's day.

"I see. I don't suppose that's why you come every day at four o'clock, is it? For the stories?" she grinned.

Another thing about her; she's very intelligent. There's truly no way to fool her.

"What, me? Pfft are you kidding? I only come here for grown-up books like…"

I looked over to the bookshelf next to me to think of something and pulled out a random book.

"—Julius Caesar. There's nothing like it. I would much rather spend my time reading about boring Romans who kill each other than a servant girl who finds her true love at the king's ball" I explained with a slight hint of sarcasm.

Mrs. Robin laughed softly;

"Oh really, what's your favorite chapter?"

Of course…

I exclaimed in a fake tone;

"The whole book! You couldn't possibly tell me to just pick one chapter!"

She shook her head and dismissed it. I put the book back on the shelf and laughed to myself.

"Well how has life been treating you Hannah? Of course, when you're not reading Julius Caesar."

I put on a fake smile.

"Things have been going great for the most part."

Mrs. Robin looked up from the books on the cart and at me.

"That's great…" she smiled.

She paused for a moment.

"Now tell me what's really on your mind" she said raising a brow.

This woman can literally read minds. It kinda scares me to be honest.

"How can you tell?" I asked bluntly, referring to how easily she could read me.

She shook her head and smiled as she spoke;

"Dear you don't have to pretend around me. I understand you may not be interested in adult topics like Julius Caesar. I know much more about children than you would think."

My eyes widened;

"I see."

"Now go on and spill it. What's got you down?" she continued.

I shrugged my shoulders;

"Just feels like time is flying by. Soon it won't be socially acceptable to enjoy these stories."

I looked to the shelf next to me full of children's books. I could spend hours reading them.

Mrs. Robin began;

"You are never too old for fairytales. I used to tell stories to my younger brothers all the time."

"Oh really? What kind of stories?" I questioned.

For once something was actually peaking my interest.

"Oh you know, how Cinderella defeated pirates, or how Sleeping Beauty awoke from her slumber. Other stories were just about horrid pirates and their battles at sea."

"You sure have a creative mind" I said.

She shrugged her shoulders with a giggle;

"Well, every story is a good story in someones' eyes. It's fine that someone doesn't enjoy a certain story, but there will always be people who do enjoy it. That's why I refuse to give into the grown-up standards, I simply will not! I shall read as many bedtime stories as I please!"

Is it sad that I think I'm relating to an elderly librarian more than my cousin who I've known my whole life?

"That's an interesting way to put it Mrs. Robin" I responded.

Why can't Mrs. Robin be my guardian? She seems to be the only somewhat sane person that understands me. Everyone I know is pretty much looney.

"Why thank you dear. Also, since you seem to have as much of an interest in fairytales as I do, would you mind doing me a favor?"

I shook my head;

"Sure."

What am I supposed to do? Say no?

"Would you mind reading to the children today? For around an hour maybe? I am just completely swamped with things to do."

"Yeah I can do that for you" I spoke.

She smiled with enthusiasm;

"Oh thank you! The little ones should be arriving around four o'clock."

"No problem, what would you like me to read?" I asked.

Mrs. Robin licked her bottom lip as she thought. I could see from the look in her eye that she was cooking up something.

She started;

"I think I've got the perfect one."

Mrs. Robin walked over to the historical section where all of the older books were kept. I followed closely behind her. She stopped in front of a tall bookcase and scanned the shelves. Her finger trailed along the spines of the books as she searched for a specific title. Eventually it seemed as though she came across the one she was looking for. She carefully pulled it out of its spot and handed it to me. The book wasn't very heavy and only had to probably have around two hundred or so pages. The cover was a dark green and the title was printed in gold letters. I read the title aloud in question of her choice.

"Peter and Wendy?" I asked.

She looked at the book with so much love and care.

"Oh yes, it's a classic. This copy used to be mine."

Whoa, this book must be old. Though I'm pretty sure this isn't the story I'm thinking of.

"Is this the story of Peter Pan? I thought it was just a ten page Disney storybook?" I asked curiously.

Mrs. Robin held an expression of surprise.

"Oh heavens no! A story like this deserves every page it's printed on."

I guess it's okay. I don't really see the appeal. It's such a simple story.

I started again;

"What about something with some adventure, you know, something mind blowing?"

She looked at me questionably and smiled.

"Why it's one of the greatest adventures of all."

Okay fine I'll read it. Who knows, maybe I'll understand what she's talking about.

"Now you better sit down in the chair before the children arrive. It's almost four. Good heavens I need to get some work done around here! Enjoy the story!" she said with a kind heart.

She walked away towards where she left the cart and went on her way. I looked down and examined the book cover once more. Peter Pan? I'll give it a shot…I walked over to the rocking chair in the corner of the library and sat down. Not a moment later I was already going through the book, scanning a few pages at a time. The last time I remember reading Peter Pan was several years ago when Tommy read it to me. He was probably around thirteen and I was most likely around nine or ten years old. He always had a fascination about Peter Pan…and I never knew why…

Moments later children began to file in from the front doors of the library. As soon as they saw me they immediately bolted over to me and sat down, ready to listen. One after another they adjusted themselves and gave me their attention. A small blonde haired boy with pale blue eyes raised his hand to ask me a question.

"Yes?" I asked, giving him permission to speak.

"Um, what are you gonna read to us?" he asked.

I let out a small laugh.

"Well I'm going to see how far I can get in an hour, but how does Peter Pan sound?" I spoke to the children.

The children all had positive attitudes. Frankly I don't think they really cared what they were going to be listening to for the next hour. Most likely they were probably just glad that they didn't have to do their homework immediately after school.

"I heard that Peter Pan can fly!" a girl spoke.

"I heard that he cut Captain Hook's hand clean off!" said another.

"I heard that Princess Tigerlily was hot!"

"Settle down" I spoke over all of the excited children.

"Is it true? Can Peter Pan really fly?" a boy asked me.

I wish I knew buddy. Honestly I wish he was real. Then maybe he could teach me to fly and I could go through any fast food drive-thru window without having to have a car. But these are children, I can't just say that. I'm not sure what I really expected when I started reading to kids a couple months ago. I'm not very good with children seeing that I'm the only child from where I came from. I've never really had the opportunity to interact with kids that probably think similarly to me.

"Why of course he can" I assured them.

"Just think a happy thought…and the world is yours."

The kids were amazed and soon quieted down so I could begin.

I began to read;

" _All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up, and the way Wendy knew was this."_

I looked down for a moment to see if the children were still even listening. To my surprise, they were content.

" _One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful, for Mrs. Darling put her hand to her heart and cried, "Oh, why can't you remain like this for ever!" This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth—"_

Henceforth? Are these kids going to even know what henceforth means? Heck I can barely sound it out.

" _Wendy knew that she must grow up. You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end."_

It went like this for a while. Before I knew it the clock on the wall showed five o'clock. I shut the book after finishing the third chapter and the children were not pleased.

"No please don't stop reading! We wanna hear about the flight to Neverland!" they all complained.

These are some passionate kids I'll tell you that.

"I'm sorry—" I laughed.

"—But the hour is up. You all have to go home and get to bed tonight so that maybe Peter Pan will visit you at your windows" I explained.

A little girl shouted;

"He's gonna come visit me first!"

"No he's gonna visit me first and bring Tinkerbell!" another argued.

Oh no…What have I done? I've gotten toddlers to fight with each other…I better go pop some popcorn…Stop it Hannah! Grow up!

"Now now everyone, don't fight. You must believe in Peter Pan for him to visit you. And who knows, he's probably busy fighting Captain Hook in Neverland. It may take him a while to get some spare time. Thank you for being such good boys and girls. You can leave once your parent is here" I announced.

One by one each child left with their parent until I was the only one. I actually continued to read further into the book. I must say, it's definitely not bad. Quite creative if you ask me. I ended up making it to chapter seven before realizing the time. I should get going. I was supposed to be back for dinner. And on top of that I still need to return the book to Mrs. Robin. I stood up from the rocking chair and looked around me. I didn't particularly see her anywhere. I guess I'm gonna have to hunt her down. I walked down a few rows of bookcases until suddenly, there she was. She was putting away the last book on her cart when she looked over at me.

"Ah thank you dear! How did it go? You seem to have the charm when it comes to children" she said.

Me? Charming? Please…

"Oh really? It was actually quite enjoyable. It was more pleasurable to read than I expected" I informed her with a smile.

And for once, I actually wasn't lying…

She smiled;

"I'm so happy to hear that! Oh honey, you should probably start heading home! Your parents are probably worried sick!"

My warm smile began to fade until a small, fake smile was left. I outstretched my hand with the book toward her.

"You can't worry what you don't have…"

Mrs. Robin's smile faded as I still stood with the book. She didn't say anything as it looked like she was thinking to herself.

Oh great…I just made her feel bad…

"It's fine though, really. I should probably head back though" I told her.

Ugh, now I feel bad for making her feel bad…

Mrs. Robin looked down at the book for a moment. Seconds later she looked back to my face and looked me directly in the eyes. She rested the palm of her hand over mine which held a grip on the book.

"Why don't you take it home and read it? It's sure to give you quite an adventure…"

Hmm…interesting…I'm not a very trusting person, so obviously something's telling me that there's something weird going on here…

"Oh really? I thought you didn't check out books from the historical section?" I asked perplexed and confused.

She looked at me innocently and smiled;

"I'm glad to make an exception for you dear. Go on ahead. Run along home. Just bring it back whenever you're finished with it."

Whoa…she never just 'loans' out books. Especially if it's her property. That's quite strange…

"Really? Thank you so much. I'll bring it back as soon as I can. Don't worry I'll be very careful" I grinned.

Who knows…she's probably just a really sweet woman…I'm just being paranoid.

I began to walk toward the exit of the library.

"Oh and Hannah—" she spoke as I was halfway to the exit.

I turned around and looked at her.

She commented;

"Enjoy it."

I nodded my head with a small smile;

"I will."

I saw her grin as I turned back around and started toward the exit which was now only a few feet away from me. I held the book in my arms tightly to ensure I wouldn't do something stupid to damage it. Pushing against the exit door, I noticed in the reflection of the window that Mrs. Robin smiled the whole time until the library door shut behind me. I noted to myself that soon it would be dark outside. I walked down the steps in front of the library and hurried home. I had told Tommy I would be home for dinner and…well…we'll see what happens when I get there. Before I knew it the sun had already started to set and it was getting harder to see. I only had about a block or two until I'd reach my house. Lightly jogging, I was relived when I came upon my backyard. The lights in the house were all turned off which kind of confused me. If Tommy told me to be back for dinner, then where are they? I headed over to the french doors and bent down toward the patio. I carefully wiggled a few bricks until I found one that was loose. Pulling it from its place, I reached in and grabbed the hidden key. I don't recall them ever telling me that there was ever a key here. I'm pretty sure I just found it one day and figured it would be useful someday. Standing up, I unlocked the door and tossed the key back in the hole. As I put the brick back into place I opened the door to an unlit house.

"Hello?" I called.

The house remained silent.

"It's Hannah, I'm home!" I shouted.

Again, there was still no response. At this point things seemed strange. I had noticed that the tv was left on with no one watching it. Setting the book on the counter I strolled over to the tv and turned it off with the remote.

"Tommy? Uncle David? Is this some kind of joke?" I tried.

My voice echoed throughout the house. It wasn't even like there were any footsteps or squeaks in the house to notify me of someone's presence. I scanned the house once more and heard something beeping. Walking over to the kitchen I had found that there was something still in the microwave. It's almost as if the house was left untouched. Maybe Tommy and Uncle David went to pick up some take-out? But that wouldn't explain why the tv was left on and food was left in the microwave. Maybe there's a note somewhere? I walked through the whole kitchen and found nothing. I wouldn't be surprised if my uncle accidentally shredded the note he was gonna leave me with the transcripts. I didn't even think to check if the car was still here. Whatever, I shouldn't worry too much. They'll be back soon. For the most part I dismissed their absence and picked up the book from the counter. Not feeling like taking off my shoes I headed up the stairs to my room. While opening my door I looked across the hall and caught a glimpse of Tommy's baseball trophy case. He was accepted to University of Wisconsin for baseball, and I must say, I'm pretty proud of him. Even though my uncle constantly compares me to him, he was always there for me for the most part. Though sometimes it felt like he was hiding things from me. When I asked him about the boxes under my bed he wouldn't tell me. Boys don't make any sense…I proceeded into my room and shut the door behind me. The book in hand, I laid down on my bed and turned on my lamp. Picking up where I left off, I continued to read.

" _That, Peter had told Wendy, was the way to the Neverland; but even birds, carrying maps and consulting them at windy corners, could not have sighted it with these instructions. Peter, you see, just said anything that came into his head. At first his companions trusted him implicitly, and so great were the delights of flying that they wasted time circling round church spires or any other tall objects on the way that took their fancy."_

It seemed that every sentence I read made me drowsier.

" _John and Michael raced, Michael getting a start. They recalled with contempt that not so long ago they had thought themselves fine fellows for being able to fly round a room. Not long ago. But how long ago? They were flying over the sea before this thought began to disturb Wendy seriously. John thought it was their second sea and their third night."_

It was hard to believe how tired I had become after reading only a few pages.

"" _There it is," said Peter calmly. "Where, where?"_

 _"Where all the arrows are pointing."_

 _Indeed a million golden arrows were pointing it out to the children, all directed by their friend the sun, who wanted them to be sure of their way before leaving them for the night."_

Every few moments I would pinch myself to stay awake. It would work momentarily, but the feeling of drowsiness would soon return seconds later.

" _Of course the Neverland had been make-believe in those days, but it was real now, and there were no night-lights, and it was getting darker every moment."_

I felt my fingertips begin to feel slightly numb. I could only manage to keep my eyes half open, where now it almost seemed useless. I would tell myself to stay awake, but it felt like something was pulling me away. It was crazy in the fact that I thought I started to hear voices. Not only did I hear voices, I began to see things. Things like flashes of light.

" _Second star to the right…"_

" _All children, except one…"_

" _Unwanted…unloved…"_

" _Come away…"_

" _to Neverland…"_

My eyes shut and immediately I felt as though I was submerged in water. It was cold and dark, not a source of light in sight. I was choking as my lungs began to seize. My head was pounding as my body was screaming for oxygen. What's happening? This isn't possible…I must be dreaming! I tried to open my eyes but I could see nothing. I kicked and used my arms to try to swim upward as this nightmare began to feel more real. It terrified me, and I felt like I was going to drown. Every time I opened my mouth more water filled my lungs. The taste of salt water burned my throat. Beginning to feel light headed, I gave it my all and used every muscle in my body to kick me upward. Every kick counted and I knew this because I could feel the water pressure becoming less heavy. The sudden feeling of my fingertips touching the air above the surface of the water made my heart skip a beat. The cold air on my skin made me rejoice. As my head shot from the water I began to gasp for air. Taking long deep breaths I tried to calm myself down. My heart was beating impeccably fast. What is going on? Why does this feel so real? As I opened my eyes I was first met with darkness. But the more I looked around the more I began to see. I was in an ocean, judging from the salt water. High in the sky was a full moon. But what stuck out to me was the moon wasn't the only planet I saw. A small distance away from it I could've sworn was Jupiter, then Neptune, and perhaps other planets I didn't even know existed. Thoughts were racing like crazy through my mind. Looking down from the sky, I almost fainted. I squinted my eyes to try to focus in case if I was just seeing things. Before me was an island inhabited by forest.

This…is impossible…

It's just a fairytale…

I began to swim towards the land as my arms and legs burned. One stroke at a time I was getting close to shore. It was to the point where I was almost panting because of how tired I was. Every second that went by I became scared. At first I thought this was a dream…but now…I can't say I'm sane enough to answer that question. I rejoiced when I felt sand underneath my feet, meaning I could walk the rest of the way. My breaths became short as I climbed out of the water onto the beach. My body slammed into the sand like a stone and I laid there. I coughed up water onto the soil and groaned. The crashing waves hit my body continually, until I eventually scooted up so that I was farther away from the water.

Where the hell am I?

Someone please tell me how I got here?! Where is 'here'?!

Okay, no need to panic. I can figure this out on my own. I'm strong, independent, and…

What else am I?

I sighed as I thought to myself.

This is the end.

Finding the strength, I positioned my elbows and pushed myself off the sand to the point where I could stand. I was quite wobbly at first, but I was eventually able to stand. I turned and looked out over the ocean. The night sky was filled to the brim with stars and planets I couldn't have ever imagined. What took my breath away was when I scanned the ocean and in the distance I saw a ship.

Wait…a ship? Yes! Someone can rescue me from this hell!

However, my moment of happiness didn't last long. As I further examined the ship I couldn't overlook one small detail.

Why was there a white skull on a black flag hanging from the ship?

My blood immediately ran cold.

You're not telling me…

This can't be real…

I nearly jumped out of my skin when behind me I heard the voice of a boy;

"Oh my god…"

—

A.N:

Hey guys! I'm glad to say I got another chapter finished. Wahoo! Anyway, so that just happened…But things are coming together ;) I know a lot of you are probably like "what the heck is going on right now" but don't worry I'll get to that later XD. In the meantime, what did you guys think? Do you think Hannah is dreaming, or do you think this is real life? Let me know your thoughts and predictions in the comments, they always make my day :) Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	3. Chapter 3: Familiar Faces

Chapter 3: Familiar Faces

 **Jake's Perspective:**

My heart began to race as I felt something in the pit of my stomach. I examined the silver ring and grasped it in my hand. I won't let myself believe it was all a dream. The ring was proof enough. After a moment my memory started to come back to me. Visions began flashing in my head.

 _Taking it off her finger, she laid the ring in the palm of my hand._

 _"It was my mom's wedding ring-" she explained._

 _"I found in in a box of her stuff after she…"_

 _She trailed off before she could say the rest of her thought. I examined the inside of the silver band where there was something engraved. I read the engraving aloud;_

 _"Love will set you free…"_

 _I turned my head to Lea who held a small smile toward the sky._

 _"That was my parents' saying. It was strange…They always made it seem like falling in love was the greatest thing that could happen to you, but I never really_

 _understood they meant at the time…"_

 _Her smile slowly faded as she rested her eyes. I drew my attention back to the ring in my hand. I held out my hand to give it back to her, but she didn't move._

 _"Keep it" she said._

 _I grew confused._

 _"What? Why?" I wondered aloud._

 _She didn't meet my gaze and just continued to look at the sky._

 _"I'm gonna have to let go someday…and you gave me your locket, I owe you something that's meaningful to me" she claimed._

My locket…

 _I walked back over to her and looked at the locket I was wearing around my neck that my mother gave to me when I was little. I reached for it and took it off my neck, opening Lea's hand as I did so. I put the chain in her hand and I closed it tight._

She was why my heart had a reason to beat.

She wasn't in a dream…she was my dream.

I was in love with her…

What happened…?

I thought to myself as a memory flashed in my head once more. I heard loud screams as I felt the sword being driven into my chest. Lea's scream was the loudest. It rang through my ears for what felt like forever. I looked over to her where I saw tears streaming down her face. Her usual smile was gone. She was the last thing I saw before everything went black.

I'm dead…that's the only explanation.

His sword went right through me…There's no way…

But for some reason, I didn't feel dead. Granted I didn't feel alive, but I wasn't gone. At least I didn't think so. Looking out at the night sky through the window I wondered to myself.

Where am I? What happened to her…

Is she dead too?

My heart started to ache. Every unanswered question pushed me farther and farther away from finding my way. It seems as though there's no way for me to know. This can't be the real world…My father would be an old man by now…But there he is, out in the kitchen getting drunk…just like he always did. I sighed and rested my head against the wall. I need an explanation. I have to know that she's okay…I promised I would be there for her…But the way she screamed…The way she was beaten to the ground to the point where she stopped breathing…She almost died because of me. She needed me, but I was useless. And who knows if she's even alive. I could've gotten her killed for all I know. But then I stopped and thought; my kiss. As long as she wears my locket, nothing can hurt her. I have to find her. But how? I don't even know where I am, how am I supposed to—

"Jake."

It was a voice. It wasn't the husky, drunk voice of my father though. It sounded vaguely familiar, but it was towards the back of my head. I thought I was hearing things.

"If you can here me, go to the forest."

The voice echoed once more, this time more clearly. I know that voice…I listened to see if I would hear it again, but there was silence. Sitting up in my bed I looked outside towards the forest.

The forest…

I glanced at the door that just barely barred me from my father. There's no way I'm taking my chances with him, it's too risky. I don't know if I can trust this voice, but at this point, what do I have to lose? I stood up from my bed and hurried to my window. Unhooking the latch I pushed the window open with little to no hesitation. Without looking back I climbed through the window and hopped out. I landed on my feet and left the window open slightly so I'd be able to get back inside (who knows why I'd go back though). My eyes shot to the forest beside my house and I bolted. I took the voice as a sign of what my conscience was telling me to do;

Get the hell out of there.

I ran and didn't look back. I sprinted through the cornfields and eventually met face to face with the large forest that extended for miles. My feet treaded along the dirt as the darkness filled my vision. I couldn't see where I was going, but I just kept running. I knew I would have to stop eventually, so I slowed down to the point where I needed to figure out where I was gonna go. I rested my back against a tree and caught my breath. I have nowhere to go…I really should have thought this through more…I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. What am I doing? The nearest source of civilization was a diner about eight miles away. And even if I got there, what would I do? I can't send my brothers any letters to contact them, and it's not like they could help me anyway. At this point I don't know what I'm going to do…

"Look at you, you actually listened to me for once."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the voice. I was scared to move as much as breathe. I was afraid to find out whether or not I was crazy. But at this point, what other choice do I have? I took a deep breath as I looked up.

My eyes widened.

"Gail?"

 **Sam's Perspective:**

It was just Felix and I as we walked along the trail.

"We can't sneak away this long! Pan will kill us!" I exclaimed as I pulled on Felix's hood.

Felix rolled his eyes.

"Relax, we'll be back soon. I just need to do something real quick—"

"Ugh why did you have to drag me along though?" I whined.

"Hey quit it. You know the rules. No one goes off alone" Felix shot back.

I rolled my eyes.

"That is unless you're Le—"

"Hey shh!" he hushed as he put his hand over my mouth.

"I think I heard something."

We both stood silent and listened. At first I thought he was crazy, but then I heard it too. Something was crashing in the waves near the beach. Felix and I looked at each other. He started towards the beach.

"Hey what do you think you're doing?!" I questioned as I grabbed his shoulder and stepped in front of him.

He looked to me in confusion.

"I'm gonna check out what's over there making the noise" he answered nonchalantly.

Is he crazy?!

"Are you insane?" I exclaimed.

"This is that moment in horror movies when you're not supposed to investigate! Now let's go!" I tried.

Felix brushed my hand off his shoulder.

"Lay off, you can't go back to camp alone, so you're sticking with me" he demanded.

Ugh! Why?!

I stood there not knowing how to respond. I was defeated once again. At that moment we heard another sound coming from the beach. Felix brought his finger to his lips, signaling me to shut up. I did as I was instructed and followed him as he led the way. I walked about a foot behind him as we headed outward towards the beach. It didn't take long before our feet began to get buried by sand. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to where we were going since I thought Felix was crazy. Literally if we're not back soon Pan is going to be beyond furious. Before long we were at the beach looking at nothing.

See…Felix is crazy, and I was right like always. Ha!

"See, I told you it was nothing!" I said as I shoved Felix.

He spoke as he examined the beach;

"I know I'm not crazy, I heard something…"

Ugh! All I ask is to be in one piece at the end of the night! But no! Felix the adventurer wants to investigate!

But then I heard the noise again…

I turned around ready to bolt when Felix had a hold of my hood. Practically choking me as I tried to run he spun me around.

"I'm gonna have to put you on a leash soon…" he said to himself.

I gulped at the thought of being Felix's pet…

Reluctantly, I followed Felix as we walked along the beach toward the noise. At first I didn't see anything, but then Felix stopped in his tracks.

I looked toward the shore and saw what made my heart stop.

Felix spoke aloud in shock;

"Oh my god…"

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

I was almost paralyzed when I heard the voice of a boy coming from behind me. On one hand I wanted to run, but on the other, maybe he could help me. I turned over my shoulder as my eyes laid on not one, but two boys who were around my age. The one boy had dirty blonde hair with blue eyes, and a rather large scar on his face. The other boy had shaggy brown hair accompanied by bluish, green eyes. They both held a look of surprise upon seeing me. My breathing was still heavy from washing up on shore as I figured I was gonna have to be the one to start the conversation.

"Where the hell am I?" I started desperately.

All of my modesty went out the window ever since I washed up on a random island.

The one boy tried to speak, but all that came out was fractions of sentences. It was silent for a moment until the blonde haired boy finally spoke.

"W-where did you come from?" he interrogated.

'Where did I come from'? Where am I?!

"Um, Wisconsin? I don't know. What is this place?" I asked frantically as I looked around us.

Waves continued to crash on the beach as it began to get colder in the night. The boys glanced at each other for a moment.

The one with the brown hair spoke;

"Well, um, you see…"

He paused for a moment.

"You're in Neverland…"

I laughed.

"Ha, funny! Now seriously, what is this place" I said.

But their expressions remained the same.

"We are being serious" said the blonde.

Okay, this joke is getting kinda old…

"Oh yea, if this is Neverland, where's Captain Hook, huh?" I mocked.

The blonde haired boy raised a brow and pointed in the direction behind me. I turned my head over my shoulder and saw the ship with the skull flag and had an odd feeling in my stomach.

That's just a coincidence.

"Hm, I see…Then where's Tinkerbell, or the Lost Boys?" I spoke confidently.

The brown-haired boy chuckled;

"We _are_ Lost Boys."

Are they out of their minds?

I dismissed them;

"Sure, whatever. Anyway, how do I get back to reality? You know, where normal people are?"

I wasn't trying to be rude, but I think I have a good excuse for not being the most lady-like.

Surprisingly, the boys sort of shrugged their shoulders.

"I don't think we know the answer to that" the blonde answered.

Are you kidding me?

"What do you mean? I'm assuming you live here. How do you not know how to get out of here?" I continued.

"Do me a favor—" the blonde said as I listened.

"Take a look around. Notice anything strange?"

I looked around as he told me to.

"Yeah I do…"

I spoke;

"You two aren't very helpful tour guides."

The boys seem shocked by my smart remark.

"Now why do you keep dodging my question on how to get out of here?"

I stood with my arms crossed as I waited for an answer.

The brunette began;

"Well—"

"This isn't exactly an easy place to get to" the blonde cut him off.

Yeah no kidding.

"So then are you going to help me?" I said, getting irritated.

Between them they looked at each other with contradicting expressions.

Getting annoyed and antsy, I sighed.

"Never mind, I'll figure it out myself…"

Immediately the brunette spoke out.

"No! I think it would be better if you stuck with us."

Why would I stick with them?

"Why?" I asked, my voice trailing in curiosity.

"Um…" he started.

I raised my brow waiting for an answer.

A moment of silence passed.

"It's incredibly dangerous" the blonde piped in.

I scoffed;

"I'm not afraid."

"You should be" the blonde responded.

I rolled my eyes.

"Can we at least know your name?" the brunette asked.

I'm not so sure I should be trusting these guys…

I hesitated for a moment but spoke;

"Hannah."

The blonde smirked;

"A pleasure to meet you."

"Now you should really come with us. We might be able to help you—"

I cut him off.

"No way! I can take care of myself!" I declared.

But the blonde continued to insist;

"Please, you shouldn't be out here by yourself."

I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm not going with you!"

The two boys exchanged a look between each other that made me uneasy. The silence among us was soon distant.

"We're sorry about this…"

The boy with the shaggy brown hair lunged toward me and got me on the ground. The dirty blonde then proceeded to pull out rope from his pocket. They began to tie me up as they put a rag in my mouth. Pulling me up from the ground they began to make me walk into the forest.

"You do realize it never had to be this complicated if you just complied" the blonde chuckled.

At this point I was livid. I tried to yell but it came out as muffled screams.

"Shh! They'll hear is if you don't quiet down!" the brunette spoke once more.

What have I gotten myself into?

 **Jake's Perspective:**

Before me stood against a tree a boy about fifteen years old. His shaggy, dirty blonde hair and green eyes gave me a moment of nostalgia.

Gail…

"It's been a long time since I've come across a fellow Lost Boy" Gail smirked.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"No…this is impossible…You're…You're—"

"Dead?" Gail interrupted.

He scoffed;

"You could say that."

He shrugged his shoulders;

"Then again, it looks like you've gotten yourself into some trouble."

Oh no…

I panicked frantically as I pinched my arm;

"Am I dead?"

Gail laughed;

"In a way. Though I can't say I'm the one that should be talking. How did you end up here?"

I shook my head and stood up from the tree.

"Where is 'here'?" I asked in desperation.

Gail's facial expression turned to one that held surprise.

"…You really don't know, do you?" he said quietly.

I stood silently and lightly shook my head. This can't be real. Gail is dead.

"We—" Gail began.

"—are in Preternal Neverland" he said, gesturing with his hands.

My heart dropped to the ground when I heard him say it.

I've been banished…to…

No. This must be a mistake. Hook killed me. There's no possible way I got here.

"That's not possible. Hook didn't throw me into the water…"

Gail looked saddened at the sound of Hook's name.

"You guys are still battling Hook…" he spoke.

I responded;

"We were. We almost had him, but we got caught…And then he tried to kill her…"

My gaze lowered to the ground as I thought about Lea, not knowing where she was or what happened to her.

"Her?" Gail questioned, his facial expression confused.

That's right…He doesn't know…

"There's a girl in Neverland…" I told him.

Gail looked shocked;

"No way…Really? But why would Peter bring a girl with Wendy there?"

It was hard for me to come to the realization that Gail has missed a lot.

" _Pan_ is not who he used to be…Wendy left a long time ago…" I spoke to myself.

Gail seemed confused by my statement.

"I can explain later, but I need to know how I got here so that we can get out."

Gail scoffed;

"Been there, tried to do that."

"What do you mean? There's gotta be a way home—"

"This is your home" Gail cut me off.

This place is not my home.

I looked to Gail with a look of determination.

Gail started;

"Hook sent you through a portal that brought you to the place that caused you to be the most miserable. That's what happened to me."

No, it can't be.

"I died…" I said looking him in the eyes.

Gail clarified;

"And so did I—"

"But any wounds you have are healed once you enter the portal. How do you know he didn't throw your body into the portal after you died?"

Oh my god…He had a point.

"I know it's hard to take in, but at least you'd didn't have to figure it out on your own…"

Gail looked down to the ground. He had to figure all of this out on his own. I can't even begin to imagine how hard that was…

Gail continued;

"You live the same day over and over; forever."

He continued to explain;

"The moment the clock strikes midnight, the day resets, and we live it again."

The same day…over and over?

But what is Gail doing here at my 'home'?

"But wait, then how are you here?" I inquired.

From what he's telling me there's no possible way I could be talking to him. He should be at the place where he was most miserable.

Gail raised a brow.

"The perks to not being dead or alive; you're almost like a ghost. Except you can only contact through or see people's dreams. It's really hard to contact people in their dreams who are outside of Preternal Neverland. I've never been able to do it. But since you're within the realm, it's not an issue."

Something Gail said clicked in my head.

"Wait, you can see the dreams of people outside of this world?"

Gail smirked;

"Absolutely. The universe is yours. And what you said earlier about the girl in Neverland makes sense now."

At first I was perplexed.

"What do you mean?" I questioned.

Gail's smirk grew more pronounced.

"It kinda explains why you have so many dreams about her…"

Please don't tell me…

"Um, those are private, thank you very much" I replied in a sarcastic and slightly embarrassed tone.

I think I'm starting to hate Preternal Neverland.

I thought aloud;

"The only thing is; I'm not asleep."

Gail shook his head;

"That's what you think."

Come on! Can't something go my way today?!

I sighed;

"You mean I'm not awake? How did you know I was here to begin with?"

He shrugged his shoulders and dismissed my never-ending amount of questions.

"Listen we don't have much time…" he responded.

I looked to the sky and took notice to how late it was. Soon it would be midnight.

I began;

"Alright, so how do we get out of here?"

Gail frowned.

" _I_ can't…"

Gail paused;

"But you can…"

I looked to him confused.

He continued;

"That ring in your pocket—"

He paused once more.

"Is a kiss."

I reached into my pocket and felt around for the ring. Pulling it out of my pocket, I held it out in my palm. Her ring…was a kiss?

"I sensed it the moment you got here."

I could barely speak.

"She saved you, Jake. It may not have prevented your death, but it saved you from the curse."

I wondered aloud;

"Curse?"

Gail looked me in the eyes;

"Anyone that gets banished here is cursed. The curse makes it impossible to leave this place at your own will. That is, except you. With you in possession of her ring, she protected you from it. And as long as you have it, nothing can hurt you."

So many thoughts raced in my head.

She…protected me…

"And I think it may be your ticket out of here" Gail said.

Looking to him with hopeful eyes, I listened.

"You can get out of here on your own. The trick is figuring out how."

If what Gail says is true…then I may have a chance at saving us. If I can get out of here, I can help Gail escape too. Then I can find Lea.

I can see her again…

"So when do we start?" I asked eagerly, clutching the ring in my hand.

Gail looked up toward the stars.

"We can't do anything about it tonight. And besides, you've got some work to do" he chuckled.

Work? What work?

I began to ask;

"What do you mean—"

"Jake!"

—

My eyes shot open.

A loud voice rang throughout the house. I came to realize that I was laying on my bed in my room. The sun was barely out and the stars were gone. It must be morning…The loud voice that screamed my name echoed in my head. As soon as midnight struck I must've woken up. But what day is it? Gail said that we relive the same day over and over…What was my most miserable day in my life?

"Jake!"

…It my father's voice.

"If you don't get your ass outside and start working I'm going to make you wish you were never born!" he yelled from another room in the house.

Whoa…It's funny how long it's been since I've heard him yell at me this early in the morning. Every morning began with my father screaming at me to get up and take care of his responsibilities while he sat around all day. But this day in particular was different than the rest. At first I wasn't sure of what day it was, but then it hit me.

I knew exactly what day it was.

The day that sent me over the edge.

The day I ran away.

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Happy to say I'm on vacation in the mountains so I've had plenty of time to write! I'm so glad to get Jake's perspective again! But jeez! What's going on with him?! Do you guys think he's alive, or do you think he's crazy? Let me know in the comments any of your thoughts and predictions (I enjoy all of them (:) Don't forget to vote if you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	4. Chapter 4: Peter, Peter Pan

Chapter 4: Peter, Peter Pan

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

My hands bound with rope, the three of us walked through the dark forest. The boys had removed the rag from my mouth but kept me tied up since I attempted to escape them on a few occasions. This whole experience has led me to a conclusion; this really sucks. What if I'm crazy? Or what if I died and none of this is real? I mean, how could it be? I'm on a freaking island in the middle of nowhere! But then again, I am not the sort of person to be crazy. Sure I may get into trouble a lot, but that was on purpose. This whole adventure definitely wasn't my own doing. The boys continued to converse with each other as if I wasn't even there.

The brunette spoke in a serious tone;

"When do you think he'll hit rock bottom?"

I could hear the chuckle trailing in the blonde's voice as he replied;

"I think he already has…"

Who hit rock bottom? Who could they be talking about? My curiosity was more than I could handle. Not to mention I'm quite nosy when it comes to knowing things.

"Who are you guys talking about" I butted in.

At first they were surprised I even spoke. After I while I had given up on making any sort of conversation. But now I was actually interested in something they were talking about. The boys exchanged a look.

"Just someone we work for, it's nothing really" the blonde spoke, assuring me that it wasn't important.

Though I can smell bull from far away. But I came to realize that none of this really matters. Soon I'll be back 'home' eating chips on the couch forgetting any of this ever happened. But it didn't stop me from asking who it was that was going to get me home in the first place.

"Who do you guys work for again?"

The brunette grinned as he released a soft chuckle.

"You'll meet him soon enough. Trust me, you're gonna love him" he spoke with that same sly grin.

I scoffed as I rolled my eyes;

"Is that supposed to be sarcasm? Because I'm not impressed. What's the big deal anyway with me being here? You guys are here, what's so bad about me?"

After that question left my mouth I immediately wished I could take it back. The blonde haired boy frowned and a chill crawled up my spine. Why the sudden mood change?

"Well let's just say you weren't part of his vision" he spoke quietly, most likely in the hopes I wouldn't hear him.

But I did hear him.

"Who's vision?" I questioned as my curiosity peaked.

Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the blonde resting his eyes as he sighed;

"…The person we work for. He regulates everything on this island. Nothing has ever gotten past him. Except for you and one other person."

This boss of theirs seems like a total control freak. I don't understand why they would work for a guy like that. And isn't it strange that a couple of teenage boys would be working for some random dude on a remote island? But what confused me more was why he mentioned that one other person had gotten by this mystery boss. What's the big secret here?

"And who would that be?" I pried.

At this point both of the boys chuckled and the brunette spoke up.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions."

I do not ask a lot of quest—…Okay maybe he's right.

I scoffed;

"What do you expect? I'm a girl, I like knowing things. Like, when can we stop wandering around this forest like lost puppies?"

It seemed as though now we were walking even slower to our destination.

"We're not lost, we're just taking our time…We aren't exactly thrilled to give our boss the big news."

What does he have to be afraid of? It seemed as though the blonde began to move even slower.

"Why don't you just call him by his name?" I questioned as I fumbled with the rope that bound my hands together.

The brunette quickly replied;

"Cause then you won't believe us. Trust me, it's just better you meet him for yourself."

You have got to be kidding me! I rolled my eyes as the brunette spoke once more;

"He's quite a character if I do say so myself" the brunette continued.

Boy does that kid like to talk…At this point it was ridiculous. When can I just go home? And how long until we get to—

And then I saw it.

We stopped in front of two large posts standing fifteen feet high. In between these posts was an opening about seven feet wide and going around was a large wall constructed out of cedar wood. The blonde then spoke, startling me;

"Relax guys, it's just us."

As I looked up I saw what appeared to be two boys sitting up at the top of the posts. Upon further investigation I noticed they were both aiming crossbows in our direction. My heart began to race as I noticed both of the bows were directed right at me. Why such high security in a place of a couple teenage boys and their old boss? Even so why are teenage boys handling crossbows?! Slowly they lowered their bows as the one in the left post locked eyes with me. His hair was an orange red color and from what I could see his eyes were a dull brown color. The only way I could describe his expression was shock. A moment passed when the two boys with me turned to each other.

"Alright, so Sam you go ahead and tell him what's going on" the blonde insisted.

Finally! I know someone's name!

Sam appeared completely taken aback.

"What, me? Why me? You're second in command—"

The blonde then interrupted as he crossed his arms;

"Yeah well I'm not the one that got us on guard duty for two weeks."

"Well maybe if you hadn't gotten all adventurous we wouldn't be in this situation!" Sam nagged back.

Okay I'm officially sick of this.

"Ladies please! Calm down!" I spoke, getting in between them.

The boys looked to me in awe and shock. Yeah, I called them ladies. They're acting like high school girls, and there's nothing I despise more than petty, dramatic school girls.

"Can't you just do rock, paper, scissors or something? Nose goes?" I suggested.

The boys looked to me at first with a look of question. That was until Sam blurted with a grin;

"Not it!"

In that moment the look of disappointment and annoyance was apparent in the blonde's eyes.

"You have got to be kidding-"

"You heard her. It's only fair" Sam chuckled.

The blonde boy looked to me, most likely in the hopes I would say something to get him out of his losing situation. But I said nothing. Sam was right, it was only fair. After my elongated silence the blonde released a heavy sigh. Rolling his eyes with a loud scoff, the blonde boy turned around and disappeared into the night within a few moments. It was then that Sam and I were alone, standing in silence. Keep in mind, I'm still tied up. So I get to stand here all awkwardly as I barely know this kid. For a few minutes it stayed like this as the wind blew through the leaves in the trees and the crickets and night bugs chirped. That was, until I actually had a question this kid might possibly be able to answer for me. I cleared my throat as I broke the long silence.

"What are the other girls like here?" I said pretty much out of nowhere.

Sam's attention turned toward me. His eyes met mine for a brief second before strands of his shaggy brown hair fell in front of one of his eyes.

"Other girls?" he spoke questionably, as if he didn't hear me correctly.

I continued on;

"Yeah, the other girls?"

His facial expression changed as his eyes fell to the ground for a moment. He then answered looking back up at me;

"Um, there's only one girl, and it's you."

I laughed aloud;

"Yeah right. There's no way a few teenage boys can survive on their own without a girl to keep them from doing something stupid."

In that moment Sam shrugged. I could continue prying and asking questions, but there really wasn't much of a reason to. In the distance I could see the blonde boy strolling back over to us. He carried himself as though he was being weighed down by boulders.

Let's just get this over with. He stood before us, looking down at his hands and twiddling his thumbs.

"He wants us to bring her" he spoke in a low voice as he looked up at me.

The blonde pivoted on his feet towards the entrance of their camp. I looked to Sam with concern as we began to pass through the entrance. The boys above us in the guard towers watched us with their observing eyes. Every step I took I could hear the leaves crinkling and I would cringe at the thought of making any noise. As I looked about my surroundings I noticed the lines of small huts and small campfires that were unlit. But one thing I noticed out of the ordinary was a hut much larger than the others. Who does this guy think he is, royalty? As we made our way along the winding path a thought crossed my mind. Am I in hell? Am I about to meet the devil himself?

Probably not, but you never know.

The farther we walked the more I began to hear scattered voices; voices of what seemed to be teenage boys, and a lot of them at that. As I peered through a mass of trees and bushes my heart began to race. There had to have been at least twelve or so boys in sight just by peaking through the bushes. Making our way around the last corner I was not prepared for what I was about to see. Almost thirty boys surrounded a large campfire the size of my bedroom back home. Where are the girls? I began looking amongst them to not find a single one. Many of the boys were laughing and talking amongst themselves until all of a sudden they grew absolutely silent. Like clockwork all of their heads turned and faced us. They were looking—staring at me. Sam wasn't joking…Why aren't there girls here…

Many of the boys were in similar shape. They looked strong, and just by looking at them I could tell they were probably fast. The youngest boy I saw had to be at least twelve or thirteen. And from what I could see, the oldest boy there was most likely seventeen. The peculiar thing was, when I scanned the group of boys, I didn't see their leader. Surely an old man would stick out amongst this type of crowd. And how could a middle-aged man control teenage boys that could definitely take him on? I continued on, scanning and observing the boys around me.

At first my eyes were drawn to the boys that stood further away from the fire pit. But not long after I was drawn to a pair of sparkling eyes framed with thick lashes. They reflected the fire's flames before him as he stood close to it. They were locked with mine the moment I came into view. His eyes were green; a shade of green that brought forth memories of rolling down hills in the spring as a child; like they were his innocence. The kind of green that shown underneath piles of cold wet snow when winter had met its end. The kind of green that budded on the dead trees of winter, bringing life back to their branches. That green color of the forest after it rains. That churning, passionate green that the ocean turns during a storm. That green color that brings hope and life no matter what has happened. And looking into those eyes, I could see it. And he knew that I could. That was when he looked to me with a grimace and his eyes changed. They turned dark and fierce, like a late winter storm in the middle of the night. His eyes matched the way he felt towards the world: dark and cold. They were drilling into mine. I couldn't help but think— I'd never seen such dark eyes with so much light in them. I then took notice to his light brown hair, which was rich like mahogany. Everything about him was symmetrical, most obviously his cheekbones and jawline, but it led to the manner in which he presented himself. He appeared to be a few inches taller than me and stood with authority; like he was important. Who was this boy, and why do I feel so drawn to him? He shoved past a few boys in front of him, bumping shoulders and shooting glares at them. Now standing before me…he smirked.

Why was he smirking?

I anxiously waited for him to speak. And from the moment he did, it was like I couldn't pay attention to anything he was saying.

"You seem to have come a long way, love."

Oh my god.

This attractive boy was British!

I stood there, still with my hands tied behind my back as I looked to him. Who is this boy?

"It really boggles my mind you've found a way here…" the boy spoke, his spirited voice laced with dark intentions.

I breathed slowly as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Where is…'here'?" I said, looking around me once more.

The boy released a slight chuckle.

"Why, you've found your way to the greatest place of all."

What is it with boys not answering questions?

I glared at him.

"I'm not messing around" I began.

"Where am I?"

The boy raised a brow as the boys behind him whispered sporadically.

"I take it you've got a backbone…very intriguing…"

Intriguing…?

Beginning to feel uncomfortable, I took a step forward, trying to hide the fact I was unsure of this boy.

"Look, you may see this as some some sort of game, but I'm not here to play. I want to know why I'm here."

The boy laughed and his smirk faded into a crooked smile. His eye color faded to a light emerald green color.

He claimed authoritatively;

"Well darling, truth be told I don't know why you're here—or how you got here for that matter. But I will tell you that this is indeed a game, and I make the rules."

All of a sudden something clicked in my head.

Is this boy…their boss? The boss I assumed was a middle-aged man?

I scoffed;

"I take it you're 'in charge'?"

The boy began to stroll back and forth in front of me with his hands behind his back.

"You could say that. I do own the island, so I'm pretty sure that gives me the right to make the calls from time to time" he said comically.

Unfortunately I wasn't particularly in the mood for comedy.

"So then what am I doing here?" I spat bitterly.

All I wanted right now was to go home and sit on the couch with a bag of Doritos and my premium Netflix subscription. But no, I was stuck here talking to a cocky attractive British boy. For a moment the boy stopped and paused as he started;

"I think we could use a new flame in the camp, something to keep things interesting…"

He paused.

"And you know what they say—"

He eyed me with those piercing green eyes.

"'One girl is worth more than twenty boys'."

For some reason when the boy said it, my mind flashed, as if I had heard that saying—or read it somewhere…It sounded familiar…But what was it?

My eyes narrowed and I scoffed;

"What am I supposed to be, some sort of maid?"

The cocky boy showed a look of comical offense.

"Why, not at all. You see, you're at an advantage."

Advantage?

"Girls have something us boys lack…" the boy claimed.

The boy paused;

"Intelligence and common sense."

No, really? I thought boys weren't as dumb or smarter than girls?

He raised a brow;

"Granted this also tends to make them less adventurous and spontaneous, but not always…"

Excuse me? I'm about as adventurous as it gets for a Wisconsin girl.

"Says the boy who's too afraid to leave me untied" I mocked.

The boy eyed me as his eyes grew dark. He stepped toward me and before I could say or do anything his hand was around my neck, applying a decent amount of pressure to at least scare me. But I did my best not to show any fear.

The boy mumbled aloud;

"Aren't you cute, you're a talker…"

For some reason, in my stupid brain, I felt like talking back would somehow make the situation better.

"Yeah, and I can scream too. I'm just adorable."

Oh god, I'm an idiot. I internally wanted to slap myself, but I had a feeling there would be one coming my way in a few moments.

"A very sassy talker at that…" he said, his grip growing tighter.

As he was up close I could see that his eyes weren't only green, but they flourished with several colors of yellow and red, maybe even a hint of blue. For some reason there was something captivating in his eyes, besides the fact he was holding me in a death grip.

"You take orders from me, understand that?" he uttered strongly.

Again, my dumb self thought that now was the time to stand up to bullies.

I replied using the small amount of air I had left;

"Why should I take orders from you?"

For a moment there was complete silence as the boy looked into my eyes. He chuckled to himself and loosened his grip around my neck, bringing his hand back to his side.

"Allow me to introduce myself…"

He took a few steps back from me as the other boys stood watching.

"Peter, Peter Pan" he introduced as he bowed before me.

I didn't say anything. I just stared at him blankly. You've got to be kidding…

"You? Peter Pan? Ha!" I chuckled as I rolled my eyes.

This only seemed to make the boy angry.

"What's so funny?" he questioned me in annoyance.

Now this is the point any logical person would say whatever they had to in order to make the person threatening them not want to break their neck. Unfortunately, I am not that logical person.

"You don't seem like the boy who had many great adventures with his loyal and trusted lost boys. After all, that personality of yours won't lend you any help in the friendship department" I joked confidently.

Boys around the fire actually laughed, leaving myself not feeling as bad for making a joke.

I noticed the boy's eye twitching.

"So you brought me a funny girl, didn't you Felix?" the boy spoke.

He looked off to the side at a boy and glared at him. I couldn't quite tell which one he was talking to since none of the boys seemed too happy at this moment in time.

"Well since you think you're so funny, how about a challenge?" Peter proposed.

"If you beat Felix in a duel, you can stay. If not…"

His eyes immediately darkened.

"I'll throw you to the mermaids myself. After all, no use in holding on to a girl who can't fight."

I could now see the true horrid intention in this boy's eyes. He may have looked innocent on the outside, but on the inside, he was cold and ruthless. But I then began to panic. I don't fight, nor did I ever plan on having to fight anyone. What is this, the Hunger Games?

I looked to the boy in shock;

"Whoa fighting? Who said anything about fighting? I don't even want to be here—"

"Says me, and well, sorry love, but you can't go home. Once you're in Neverland, you can't leave" he cut me off.

My heart sank into my chest.

What does he mean I can't go home?

Surely I can.

There must be a way…

"Regardless, it's late, and my boys need their sleep. They won't be much help to me if they can't stay awake while they gut pirates" the boy smirked darkly.

There's no way in hell this boy is Peter Pan. Or at least, not the Peter Pan I read about. Peter turned around and looked into the crowd for a moment before yelling out a name.

"Julian!" he shouted.

At first all that could be heard was shuffling deep in the crowd of boys. Though moments later a boy stepped out from the crowd. The flames of the fire illuminated his shining bright eyes and dark hair. He was taller than me and had an attractive face. I wouldn't have been surprised if he was around the same age as me as well. The boy made eye contact with Peter and kept a few foot distance from him.

Peter coldly ordered the boy;

"Take her to the pit, that's where she'll sleep for the night. Tie her to that stake and don't untie her unless I say so. If I find her untied, what happens to you is at your expense."

My eyes widened as I wondered what that boy's expense would be. To my surprise the boy just nodded his head as he calmly approached me. Expecting him to harshly grab onto me, I tensed my body in a way that it would make the grip less painful. But unexpectedly the boy gently rested his hand on my shoulder and guided me in the direction of travel. It didn't make sense to me that not all of the boys were as cold blooded as their leader. Not long after Peter began to give his boys a speech about working hard or something of that matter. The boy named Julian continued to guide me as we began walking through the forest. For some odd reason, I had the confidence to ask the boy a question. As soon as we were far enough away from the group of boys where they wouldn't hear me, I began speaking.

"What makes this the 'greatest place of all'?" I questioned, my voiced drowned with sarcasm.

I at first wasn't sure with how the boy would react. He scoffed and chuckled;

"I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

He turned his head and looked at me with what seems to be a comedic expression. But I could tell in his eyes that he wasn't joking. For some reason I felt as though something was truly wrong here. Something about this place was not normal. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard the sound of something shuffling in the air. I slowed down my steps as I looked up around me. I knew that sound wasn't the wind, more life the sound of leaves on a tree branch being brushed against. When I looked up it seemed as though something was watching me from the trees. However, there was no visual evidence that there was anything there. After all, the only living souls on this island were the boys at the fire and the mermaids Peter had briefly mentioned. But Julian pushed me on, as to not become distracted by the ghosts of the night. Each and every step I took led me deeper into my thoughts and my subconscious. What if I truly am stuck here? Never to see Tom or my uncle ever again? I had told Tom that I would visit him after he left for college. That I would make sure he always had someone there for him. I can't give up, not now at least. I can do my best to fight my way out of here.

I'm going home.

Whether Peter Pan likes it or not.

 **Peter's Perspective:**

I had now order all of the boys present at the fire to get some shut eye. For I needed them to be on top of their game at all times. Though I held back Felix in order to have a word with him. I stared into the hot flames of the fire as all of the boys cleared out. Soon it was just him, I, and the spirits of Neverland that lay awake.

"Yes Pan?" Felix called aloud as he stood a few feet beside me.

I continued to stare coldly into the fire as I parted my lips.

"I want you to show no mercy Felix. Do you understand?" I ordered.

I could tell in Felix's eyes that he would not want to follow my command, but I insisted.

"We can't carry any dead weight Felix. She will just get in the way."

Felix looked to me with hopeful eyes that disgusted me.

"Aren't you even gonna give her a chance? After all, she got here on her own. Don't you think that's a sign?" he tried.

A chance? What kind of saint does this boy think I am? I laughed;

"I think she's a sign sent to distract me."

I broke eye contact with the hot flames of the fire.

I continued with my serious tone;

"I'll throw her to the mermaids in the morning."

I noticed the hope in Felix's eyes die and wither away into nothingness.

"Then why bother having her fight me?" Felix asked.

I exhaled deeply, clenching my fists in a ball and slowly releasing them as I said to him;

"I felt like giving her some hope so that she wouldn't scream in the middle of the night, as to wake Hook and his crew. Plus I'd rather get to see her drown. It's just too dark to see into the water at night."

In that moment Felix's face turned white. He actually thought I was going to spare her? What a fool.

"Go on, get some sleep. Even though that fight of yours shouldn't take much effort. Just don't kill her, I want that pleasure for myself."

Without looking at me Felix stormed off into the forest without a sound. He must really not understand why I'm so careful with my decisions. The girl isn't of any use, so why bother having her around? She will fail tomorrow with no doubt. Her death will be relatively quick and it will be as though she never existed. If you think about it, I'm doing her a favor. I could drop her off with Hook and have him take care of her. But since I'm so generous, I'll end her sad life now. And let's not forget…

Nobody gets away with trying to humiliate Peter Pan.

—

Hey guys! First off, I am so deeply sorry for how long it's been since I updated. My life has been crazy busy and sitting down to write was very hard for me to do. I'm hoping that now with my after school activities ending that I'll have more time to write. Yay! Again I am so sorry for how long you have all had to wait. I promise I didn't venture off into Neverland without y'all! And I also promise that if you don't see an update for a while it's not because I gave up on my story. Most likely I'm just crazy busy or I'm unable to get my computer to successfully update the book with the chapter. Anyhoo…what did you guys think? Isn't Pan quite the catch? And how is Hannah supposed to fight Felix?! Let me know any thoughts or predictions and I will see you soon with another update!

-Agm3


	5. Chapter 5: Make It Past the Entrance

Chapter 5: Make It Past the Entrance

 **Felix's Perspective:**

My blood ran cold as he continued to speak.

"Plus I'd rather get to see her drown. It's just too dark to see into the water at night."

All I wanted to do was stand up to Pan, to ask him why he was being so cruel; what had happened to the Peter I knew? Deep down inside he must be in there…somewhere…

But his eyes said otherwise. They were narrow, cold, and held no emotion, other than the emotion of enjoyment in others' suffering. Pan grinned slightly;

"Go on, get some sleep. Even though that fight of yours shouldn't take much effort. Just don't kill her, I want that pleasure for myself."

I balled my fists behind my back, my fingernails digging into my soft, tender flesh. He has nothing to worry about; I'm not gonna hurt her. In fact, I'm not gonna lay a finger on her. I turned away from him without another word and began to stomp off towards my hut. I was constantly trying to come up with ideas on how to help Hannah, but there wasn't a whole lot I could do. Trying to free her would be of no use; they would find her. She's not able to hide like others have in the past. And staging a fight wouldn't be easy either. In reality, it's all out of my control. Pan is expecting me to be there tomorrow to take her out. Pan is in control.

I have no choice.

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

As I tried my best to sit up my head hit something hard—something made out of wood.

Oh…right.

My wrists had been bound with rope behind a large stake in the middle of a dirt pit. That's how I was left for the entire night. I guess I get special treatment for being the guest of honor. Lucky me. The ground was cold and damp. My eyelids feeling heavy, I struggled to open them. But as I kept trying, I was able to open them just slightly. With the little vision I had, I was greeted with vibrant hues of oranges, yellows, and pinks. For a moment I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at. But the more I examined what was in front of me, I finally came to the realization of what it was. I was looking at the sunrise before me. Sunlight filled the sky. The light was pure and scattered amongst the puffy white clouds. Through the clouds the sunlight illuminated every crevice of Neverland. How could a place overrun by such evil be so beautiful? I opened my eyes a tad more and looked around me. The leaves in the trees glistened and the sea was a dreamy shade of blue I had never experienced before. The grass was full of life. Each individual piece danced with each gust of wind that blew. The small droplets of dew hydrated the grass, giving it its luscious green color. As I breathed in the fresh morning air the wind was nearly ripped from my lungs from shock. The air was so comforting and sound. It reminded me of the smell of the air back at home—my real home. Oh how I missed my mother…

I attempted to pull away from the stake I was tied to, but it was no use. My wrists were rubbed raw from the rope. For a moment I was starting to enjoy this place, but that was short lived when I realized I was still being treated like chopped liver. That boy wants me to be violent? More actually, that boy finds pleasure in attempting to make me afraid? What kind of trauma must he have endured to make himself so wicked?

But I've already decided; I'm not going to give him what he wants.

Whoever Felix is, I'm going to be ready.

Or maybe he'll have mercy…that's a possibility too.

I rested the back of my head against the tall post behind me and released a heavy sigh. This really sucks…and I'm hungry too…Do you think an evil mastermind could spare an apple? A piece of bread?

Of course not. Oh how lucky I am to be stuck here…of all places…

 **Julian's Perspective:**

I awoke to the sound of someone pounding on the door to my hut. Who the heck is waking me up this early?! Surely nobody is dumb enough to wake me up before noon…Roughly rubbing my eyes I sat up in my cot and swung my legs over the edge where my toes met the cold wooden floor. My bones cracked as I stood up and headed towards the door with a cranky attitude knowing that whoever was at the door would see my bedhead. Swinging open my hut door, I was surprised to be greeted by the face of Jack, a lost boy I wasn't really familiar with.

"Do you know what time it is?" I snapped, rubbing my eyes with my fists after releasing a dread filled yawn.

Jack stood before me unshaken by my snarky attitude.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty is playing babysitter" he remarked with a sarcastic grin.

"Hm?" I questioned as I looked at him perplexed.

He looked back at me with unchanging hazel eyes.

"It's your job to go get the girl and bring her to the dueling pit. Pan's orders" he claimed, cocking a brow.

Ugh, dear god.

"Why me—"

"Ah ah ah, I'm just the messenger" Jack cut me off.

"She gets no breakfast. Just bring her straight to the pit in an hour. Again, Pan's orders, not mine."

Without a second to spare Jack turned on his heel and left me standing in the doorway of my hut. What exactly makes me the designated 'babysitter'? Sure I tied her to the stake last night, but I doubt she'd wanna see my face after leaving her there for the night.

Whatever.

In a few hours none of it will even matter…

I carelessly shut the door and worked towards getting dressed for the day, even though my body was begging me to go back to sleep. After trudging through getting dressed I headed out of my hut to catch a small bite of breakfast, except it wasn't for me. This morning I didn't particularly have an appetite, but I knew someone who hadn't eaten since she set foot in Neverland. For the last couple of months it's been slim pickings as far as food is concerned. Ever since we've lost so many boys…it hasn't been the same…It's hard to even keep track of who's left anymore…

I grabbed a shiny red apple from a bland pile of fruit. Beside the fruit were some crusty bread rolls accompanied by a poorly mashed jam made from berries. I should be grateful for the food we have, but I couldn't bring myself to be grateful for anything anymore. A few lost boys sat by the small fire while I spotted a few others transitioning into their shifts for the time being. As I walked along my head hung low, too afraid to pass by the now vacant huts of past lost boys. One in particular I don't think I could ever set foot in again. Nor could somebody else I know all too well. Eventually I was toward the edge of camp where it was isolated and quiet. Lost boys knew better than to wander toward the stake pit. As I looked ahead of me I could clearly see the large stake with the girl still tied to it. Part of me wished she could've escaped, but there was really no point. Not to my surprise she was wide awake. When I approached her she greeted me with a not so warm grin.

"Good morning sunshine" I said sarcastically.

She looked to me with her light eyes full of what seemed to be a combination of annoyed and amused. Sitting more upright she released a sigh.

"Looks like Mom's here to pick me up from daycare…"

I rolled my eyes and snickered;

"If you call this daycare you must've had a rough childhood."

She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You have no idea…" she said trailing off, her eyes falling to the ground.

As much as I wished this girl hadn't found her way here, I still partially wondered if where she came from was any better. She broke her gaze from the ground.

"So are you gonna untie me or what?" she asked in a tired manner.

Wow, she sure wants to get a move on things…

"Eh…not exactly…" I replied as I moved behind the wooden stake.

I began to cut away at the ropes that bound her to her place.

"Is this how you treat all of your special guests here?" she groaned with sarcasm.

I dropped the ropes that bound her to the stake but left the ropes that tied her hands together in tact. I grabbed a hold of her forearm and helped her to her feet. She was slightly unsteady and wobbly at first, give or take her legs probably tingling from being asleep the last ten hours.

"To be honest with you, we don't really get guests…" I answered honestly.

Her deep blue eyes peered into my soul as she tilted her head.

"Well when was the last time you had a guest like me?" she inquired, her eyes slightly narrowing.

As she spoke my chest began to feel heavy like lead. I turned away from her, my hand on her shoulder as I guided her;

"About two years ago…"

She remained quiet for a moment.

"Neverland time that is" I added.

Looking around herself for a moment she seemed a little puzzled.

"Neverland time?" she questioned curiously.

I looked around as the early morning breeze blew through the trees, making it sound as though we were being watched. But not to my surprise it was just my paranoia.

"In Neverland, time passes at a very slow rate. Even though the days and nights feel normal, time back where you're from is passing extremely quick. You could be here for what feels like a week and a month has passed by in the normal world" I explained as she looked slightly taken aback.

She opened her mouth slightly as to respond until she and I both heard the rumble of what sounded like some sort of horrid creature from deep within the Earth.

"What was that?" I exclaimed, partially frightened if we were victims of an earthquake.

The girl narrowed her eyes and scoffed;

"That would be my stomach, Einstein…"

I looked to her in amazement as I reached into my cloak. Pulling out the apple I outstretched my arm to give it to her when suddenly I felt like an imbecile…She cocked a brow and just stared at me as I awkwardly looked at the apple in the palm of my hand.

"Well genius, now what?" she remarked.

She could not accept my offering of food to satisfy her hunger due to the fact I left her bound.

Of course they make me the nanny…

"Boss says I can't untie you, or it's 'off with my head'" I explained.

The girl shrugged her shoulders and opened her mouth. At first I thought maybe she was yawning, but she just kept it open for a few moments…

She spoke;

"I'm waiting…"

There is no way…

"Well don't think I'm just gonna feed you!" I exclaimed.

She chuckled and closed her mouth.

"Guess you're gonna have to untie me."

I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue.

"I already told you, I can't—"

"Well then I guess you're feeding me" she interrupted, looking me in the eyes with a maniacal expression.

I released a sigh and begged her with my eyes. I've been in enough trouble recently and I couldn't really afford anything else Pan can pin against me. But she just wouldn't budge. For the final time I released a heavy sigh. I pulled out my knife and began to cut away at her rope. Sawing through the fibers, the rope fell to the ground releasing her from her imprisonment. She grinned in a way that was somewhat familiar. A grin that meant she had gotten her way, even if she had to undermine to get it.

"I'll take that" she grinned, grabbing the apple from my hand as she bit into it loudly.

All I could do was look at her in astonishment.

"Don't make me regret untying you. I will tie you back up and throw you into the dueling pit."

"Dueling what?" she said, looking at me questionably.

I groaned as I didn't feel like going more into depth.

"Why don't I just show you?" I said finally.

She shrugged her shoulders and began walking beside me towards the rest of camp. As we walked I began to learn more and more about this mystery girl. I would like to say she was a normal, average teenage girl, but to be honest, she wasn't. She lived for vandalizing property and humiliating others. I figured girls that enjoyed getting into trouble were an urban legend. It was now that we approached the part of camp where other lost boys resided. It then struck me that I needed to tie her back up. I reached inside my cloak hoping she wouldn't take notice of—

"And what do you think you're doing?" she questioned as she stopped in her place.

Of course. Why would I want a compliant teenage girl on my hands? I stopped in my tracks and glared at her.

"Tying you back up. You've had your fun" I snapped, not wanting to deal with her attitude and tricks.

She rolled her eyes and looked at my fiercely.

"Come on, why do you have to be the fun governor? What's _Peter Pan_ gonna do? Kill me?" she laughed.

"Yes!" I spoke loudly and with power.

I took a step closer than her. Towering over I attempted to make her fearful. Bringing my face to her eye level I got close to her and whispered viciously;

"If you run away, they will catch you. They will hunt you down like wolves, drag your half living body back here and feed you to those mermaids."

And that girl had the audacity to laugh.

"Ooh a bunch of mermaids? How terrifying!"

I balled my fists and clenched my teeth.

"Can't you see I'm trying to help you?" I snarled.

She stared back at me blankly.

"Yeah, help me not have any fun while I'm trapped here on this stupid island" she remarked, looking about her surroundings.

I looked at her in shock. It was like she was letting go of any common sense she had in her brain. She seemed like a relatively intelligent girl, but it's like she's ignoring everything. My eyes fell to the ground for a moment before meeting her blue eyes that now grew bluer.

"You wouldn't make it past the entrance" I said.

She looked at me with a certain familiar sparkle in her eye.

"Watch me."

And so in that moment I prepared for her to kick me in places a boy should never be kicked to get away from me, but she didn't.

She didn't move a single muscle in her body. She just stared at me relentlessly.

You know what, maybe somebody needs to put her in her place…for her own safety…

If the peacekeeper isn't here anymore to stop me from playing unjust, then I say…

"Go ahead…"

I grinned and pointed her in the direction of the entrance/exit of the camp. I tilted my head and raised a brow as she looked back at me. In a matter of a second she bolted from me and started running across camp. It only took a few seconds for a lost boy in the distance to notice.

"The girl is making a run for it!" he shouted so all could hear.

Without hesitation a horde of boys dropped what they were doing and sprinted after her. Now granted, this girl wasn't slow, but she wasn't nearly fast enough to outrun boys that train daily for scenarios such as this one. The boys gained up on her quickly and were close on her tail.

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

My calves burned intensely as I sprinted towards the exit of this stupid maze of a camp. My heart felt like it could burst at any moment. In my head I began to realize how stupid I was. I was too impatient. I should've waited longer to try to escape…But what was I supposed to do? He was gonna tie me back up! I had no choice…And I chose not to believe what he was saying…that they'd kill me…But maybe for once in my life I should have listened instead of acting without reason. Maybe that boy was actually trying to help…My hair was flying in front of my face as I continued running. I neared the entrance which was only twenty feet away when something hard whacked my feet and sent me soaring in the air. Summersaulting onto the hard ground I tumbled and smashed my face into the cool dirt. A sharp pain shot through my back leaving me unmoving and still on the ground. Breathing heavily I lifted my head off the ground and looked into the sun where I saw a figure standing a few feet in front of me. As my eyes focused all I saw was a bright forest green set of eyes staring down at me with a sinister smirk.

"Thought you could run out on your welcoming party now did you?" Peter chuckled maniacally.

At this point I had lost all of the breath in my lungs as I looked up to him. Next to his feet was a long, thick log that looked heavy enough to kill a man. I had realized that somehow he must have thrown it, but it seemed so unlikely that someone could hit a moving target from such a distance. He crouched down to my level and held the bottom of my chin with his pointer finger in a controlling manner. He made me look him directly in the eyes, making me lose all sense of feeling in my body. It was like his eyes could control me; make me believe anything he said accurate, make me fear anything he wanted me to, make me believe in anything he wanted me to. But I was determined as I scowled at him. The glimmering color of emerald, sparkling in the light of the morning sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew made me question what made these boys fear him. With eyes like these sickness and death shouldn't even exist. But his irises turned dark and deep as they became narrowed, rigid, and cold.

"Looks like someone's eager to begin the celebration…" he grimaced.

He stood up immediately from his crouch and turned his back to me.

"Get her to the dueling pit. This won't take long…" he commanded the boys who had just watched our "friendly" exchange of words.

Not a second later I was being lifted by my shoulders and dragged in the opposite direction of the entrance. I winced in pain from the tumble I had just taken and cursed at myself for not waiting for the perfect moment to make my escape. I had messed up. I had messed up good. Way to go Hannah…

You always mess everything up…

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Long time no see :( Again I'd like to apologize for the long wait in between these chapters. It's just been kinda difficult because I want to be careful with how I write these introduction chapters so that everything is set up how I want it. Hopefully these next few chapters will be easier to write and I'll soon get on a roll of once a month updating again. So thank you so much for dealing with me, I really appreciate it XD. Sooooooooooo what do you guys think? Was Hannah dumb for trying to escape? Or do you think Pan set her up to fail? Is Pan really going to hurt her? Or will she possibly win this duel? Please let me know any and all of your thoughts and predictions because I love reading them so much. Thank you all so much for reading and I will see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	6. Chapter 6: The Rules

Chapter 6: The Rules

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

My heels dug into the dirt as the two boys dragged me further and further away from the entrance of the camp. I kicked and squirmed, hoping it would do some good, but I was surely mistaken. Their grip was tight and unforgiving, just as they were instructed. They continued along the path, not a stutter or hiccup in their step. As they dragged me my head looked up to the sky whilst I released a breath of exhaustion. There's no way I'm going to be able to handle whatever is to come in a few short moments. The instant I looked down from the sky my face met with the dirt as I slid down into a deep pit. I coughed as all I saw around me was a thin cloud of dust. The murmuring of boys surrounded me from above the pit. One at a time I placed my hands steadily on the ground and my feet shortly afterward. Finding the strength to stand up straight I opened my eyes to the sound of someone…or something sliding down into the pit with me. A cloud of dust blew into the air, surrounding whoever had just joined me at the bottom of the pit. I had covered my face with my forearm to protect my eyes from the harmful dust. My heart skipped a beat when the murmuring of the boys ceased almost instantly. I opened my eyes as the dust had nearly cleared. Through the cloud I could see only one thing. I saw a set of piercing green eyes paired with a mischievous smirk; one I could never mistake. They looked straight through me, sending those same chills up my spine. The dust cloud had completely dispersed, leaving Pan standing before me with not one, but two swords. He can't be serious…

Pan spoke;

"If you want to stay here…"

He paused.

"You play by my rules…"

With a sword in his right hand he dragged the blade in the dirt, drawing a line in front of him. He looked up to the boys who spectated above the pit.

"Where's Felix?" Pan called.

The boys exchanged confused looks and shrugged their shoulders. A red headed boy spoke up;

"We haven't seen him all morning…"

Pan scoffed and glanced at the ground for a moment.

"Then I guess you'll have the honor to duel me" he smirked.

I eyed him questionably.

"Duel?" I cross-examined.

He ignored my question and kept his eyes on the ground. Digging the sword deeper into the dirt, he began to walk around me with it dragging behind him until there was a full circle drawn in the pit.

"Stay within the circle—"

He tossed the sword he was dragging up in the air. As it came at me I caught it by the blade. I hissed quietly when it cut across my delicate skin. His emerald eyes locked with mine.

"-Or you lose."

A wisp of air rang in my ears as his reflective silver sword swung an inch in front of my face. I took a few steps back, leaving myself almost outside of the line indicating the circle. My heartbeat began to increase. He sure wasn't messing around. I was nearly petrified to attempt to swing my sword at him…nearly. Let me tell you, swords are way heavier than they appear. How in the world are you supposed to do any damage with a sword if you're a string bean like me? The only way to do any harm would be to drop it on someone ten feet up in the air; that's about it. I tried with all my might and swung the sword in his direction. Though I didn't drop it like a fool, I had completely missed. He chuckled, which only fueled my anger. I attempted another swing at him, this time slightly closer to his torso. But quickly he swung back powerfully, nearly knocking the sword out of my hands. I took a few steps inward to clear myself from the edge of the circle. But I found myself getting closer and closer to the edge with every threatening swing Pan took. I began to feel overwhelmed the more swings I took. The boys above us watched silently, which honestly surprised me. Their obnoxious and rowdy personalities had vanished, leaving them emotionless and plain. It had almost seemed like all of this was rehearsed in a way. I threw another swing toward Pan in which he deflected, pushing me toward the very edge of the circle. Without warning he swung again, cutting a slash on my face close to my hairline. He pushed his sword toward me as I held mine up to shield my skin from the harmful blade. But my strength wasn't enough. He continued to push without mercy, and eventually I laid on the ground for dear life. His face was close to mine as he continued to push his sword against mine. He was crouched on one knee, using his back to push his sword closer and closer to my neck. I was close to being decapitated, and there was only one thing I could think of that might be able to get me out of this. I butted my head against his as hard as I could, making him grunt and release his hold on me. He fell to the ground as I squirmed to get up. However, I wasn't quick enough. He was already on his own two feet, ready to chop me into tiny little pieces. Barely getting to my feet he swung at me one last time, making me fall back to the ground, completely outside the circle. I lost a grip on my sword.

He won.

I lost.

From then Pan held this large, petty grin.

"Looks like someone just isn't cut out for the life of a Lost Boy" he spoke aloud.

Panting, I looked above the pit at the boys' expressions, those of which held a solemn and despondent spirit. I looked back to Pan who still held the same cocky grin.

"Come on now, you're going home."

Instantly my head perked up as I had thought I had just misheard what he said.

"Wait, what?" I asked in confusion.

Pan held out his hand for me to take it.

"Didn't you hear me? You're going home" he responded.

I was filled with relief, but also a sense of grief. It didn't feel true. And even if it was, what was I really going back to? What was I even fighting for? Just now I had put my life on the line…for what? A boring town, a boring life. It would all just be the same as it was. I took Pan's hand.

"I thought you said I couldn't get home?" I questioned as he pulled me to my feet.

I was once again met with his sparkling, vibrant green eyes.

"I was just trying to give you some motivation to win, but it looks like you really just want to go home. I completely understand."

At this point Pan spoke in a completely different tone. It seemed almost as if he was trying to be nice.

"Come on, your destiny awaits…"

He grabbed the sword from my hand and ordered assistance from a boy above the pit to pull us up. Grabbing the extended hand I was pulled up onto the nice solid ground. What was perplexing, however, was the fact that all of the boys remained standing in their places. Not a muscle had moved since the match ended. I would've expected everyone to get back to what they were doing, but their feet stayed planted on the ground. All of their eyes were on me, still and unwavering.

"Come on lads, get back to your posts. I won't be gone long" Pan announced.

The boys all around listened and glanced back at me one final time before dispersing back to their posts. For some odd reason I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"How exactly are you getting me home?" I asked Pan quizzically.

Pan slid his sword back into his belt loop as he replied;

"The way everything gets off this island."

I looked to him questionably and with uncertainty.

"Come on now, we don't have all day" he insisted.

He walked ahead of me in hopes I would immediately follow. But I remained unsure if I truly felt comfortable being alone with this boy. He just tried to decapitate me. I wouldn't just call that 'roughhousing'.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

Pan stopped in his tracks and looked back at me with a smile.

"I'm Peter Pan, I've never told a single lie" he insisted.

I looked back into those same entrancing eyes. Maybe he was right. Maybe I do need to stop being so uptight. I took a few steps to catch up with him.

"That's what I'm talking about girly" Pan applauded.

I eyed him one last time before we started heading out of camp. As we made our way to the entrance I made eye contact with Sam, who had a look of pure grim and sadness. What was so upsetting about finally letting me go home? I felt utterly uneasy, but I ignored the feeling. I was finally going home after this whole mess. Pan and I walked through the woods making our way to wherever he was taking me. In fact, he never told me how he was getting me home. But for some reason, I didn't question him. I was too fearful I'd tick him off and make him change his mind. The more we walked though, the less I began to recognize the area. There were less and less sounds around us.

"How long have you been in Neverland?" I asked.

"For about as long as I can remember" Pan replied.

"It's a safe place, so I never leave."

Besides the small talk, Pan and I barely communicated. About ten minutes later he began to speak again.

"We're getting close" he said.

I looked at him concerned;

"Close to what?"

Pan pulled back a curtain of leaves and vines that revealed a hidden area before us.

"Close to your one way ticket home."

As I looked before us I saw a lagoon surrounded by mounds of sand. The water appeared such a sparking blue, similar to the color of my eyes.

"Um, how exactly is this a one way ticket home?" I interrogated.

Pan rolled his eyes;

"Gee, you sure like to ask a lot of questions."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed;

"I wouldn't have to ask questions if you'd just—"

I looked over at Pan who was staring at me annoyed.

"Right, sorry."

I walked over toward the sand where my feet instantly sank into it.

"What is this place?" I asked before realizing I was asking yet again another question.

For a moment he didn't answer.

"This…is how you're getting home."

I looked around confused.

"Explanation?"

He looked over at me.

"You see, this isn't just any ordinary lagoon…"

Pan brought his fingers up to his mouth, making a high whistling sound. For a moment there was nothing, but then I heard the sound of water sloshing from underneath the lagoon. Before I could ask him why he whistled I saw before me what appeared to be creatures with tails exploding from underneath the lagoon's surface. The breath was nearly taken away from me when I had seen almost eight of these creatures before me. These can't be…

"Mermaids" Pan spoke aloud.

I looked about me in awe.

"But, that's…impossible…"

Pan chuckled;

"Nothing's impossible in Neverland."

My eyes met his and I instantly felt as if I was going insane. Mermaids are a mythical creature, it's impossible for them to exist. The mermaids began to swim closer to the shore.

"Here, come this way" Pan said.

He began walking around the lagoon to a spot with a couple of rocks.

"Come get a closer look."

I did as I was told and followed him. As I did so I continued to look at the mermaids. However, they made me feel incredibly tense. These…'mermaids' were not as I imagined them as a child. They appeared to be quite cold and not in the least bit beautiful. They had what seemed to be sharp teeth and dead skin. They looked to resemble more of a piranha if anything. Pan crouched on a stepping rock above the lagoon.

"How am I getting home from here?" I questioned.

Pan glanced over at me, then back down at the mermaids.

"The mermaids will help you get home."

I spoke aloud;

"How so?"

Pan's eyes locked with the lagoon's water.

"The mermaids will lead the way" he said.

I remained skeptical.

"How do you know they'll help us?"

Pan replied;

"They do anything I tell them. They all have a particular fondness for me."

That's got to be hard to find…

Oops did I say that out loud? No? Oh thank god…

"How can the mermaids lead the way? Are you sure this is the only way off the island?" I continued.

Pan looked about himself.

"Oh, I'm sure, don't you see?" he asked.

I was then puzzled.

"See what?"

I squinted my eyes in the direction Pan was looking.

"There in the water…" Pan pointed.

I started to become infuriated.

"I don't see what you're talking about…" I continued.

Pan scanned the lagoon beneath him;

"You must understand something."

I looked even harder at the lagoon.

Pan spoke;

"There is only one way to escape Neverland…"

After a moment I turned my head to look at Pan to see his hand hovering behind my back.

"Death."

Before I could react Pan's hand had roughly shoved me forward. I could no longer feel the rocks beneath me and my stomach dropped. Not long after my heart was close to giving out at the alarming sensation of cold water. The water was so frigid against my skin it felt like a thousand icy daggers plunged into my body. I swam upward, my head popping out from the surface where my eyes met with Pan's. For a moment I saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but I couldn't tell what that something was. I looked away from him, completely ticked that I was now going to be sopping wet when I got out. That was, if I didn't kill Pan first. As I looked around perplexed I noticed an absence of the mermaids that were here just moments ago. Looking back towards Pan who held a cheeky smirk, I stared daggers into his non-existant soul. I was about to ask him if he thought this was some kind of joke, but my thoughts were cut off when I felt a tug at my ankle. I continued to tread water when I felt another tug, this time at my knee. I looked into Pan's eyes one final time before I felt an aggressive tug at my waist. My whole body was pulled under the bitter lagoon. I felt the sensation of sharp claws against my skin. I tried to pull away from whatever was holding me, but the moment I broke free something else grabbed a hold of me. What is happening? I opened my eyes in the murky water, only able to see the movements of several creatures surrounding me. I was pulled further and further away from the surface of the lagoon. The light from the surface began to slowly fade away, getting darker and darker. Straining my eyes, I did my best to shake off the creatures pulling me down. Their sharp talons dug deeper into my tender skin the more I struggled. I came to the sudden realization that these were the mermaids from just a few short minutes ago. Pan had mentioned that they held a particular fondness for him; that they'd do whatever he wanted them to.

This was all Pan's doing.

For a short moment I kicked off the mermaids holding me beneath the surface and swam to the top, taking a large gasp of air. I panted and began to panic as my eyes met with Pan's. As I looked into the eyes of the emerald forest I saw a flicker of surprise; just a slight moment of bewilderment. But they turned gray as my head fell beneath the water once more. I kicked and squirmed with all my might, but it was no use. My throat was in agony as well were my lungs. They burned from the lack of oxygen I was deprived of. The mermaids held my arms at my sides as they tugged at my legs. I kept trying to fight against them, but their strength was superhuman. I continued to sink towards the dark nothingness of the lagoon. Looking up towards the surface I released a small, precious pocket of air from my lungs that I had saved for the past few moments. Bubbles floated to the surface of the lagoon as they escaped my lips. I was running out of time. It was now to the point where I could no longer see the light on the other side of the lagoon. I began to question if my eyes were open or closed due to the sparkles that danced in my vision. My muscles were tense and exasperated. I continued to sink further and further, feeling the water decrease in temperature every second. Shifting my eyes I peered to the left and right of my unmoving body to see myself completely deserted. They were gone. The deed was done. I was motionless; unable to lift as much as a finger. Their technique proved efficacious. Once they had exhausted me they left me for dead. I felt the strong urge to take a breath, so I did, with my last few bubbles worth of air. The only thing I had energy to do now was think. My heart started beating frantically, desperate for sweet oxygen. But it was no use. The oxygen I had moments earlier was spent and I was left with a headache; dizziness. My head was pounding as every cell in my body was bellowing for air. My hair rose upwards like seaweed, rippling in the water. A sudden burst of energy creeps through the lower half of my body, not wanting to give up so easily. After only a few moments I felt the temperature of the water rise a few degrees, but it didn't last long. I had truly lost all of my energy now. My limbs stopped all movement and my heartbeat began to slow. I imagined in my head that my skin had turned blue and purple, similar to the mermaids. My eyes; sunken into my skull. My fingertips; pruned and soggy. I felt as though my head was going to explode. All of my thoughts roamed free in my head. What would Tommy do if he found out I had been drowned maliciously by a teenage boy? What would my uncle think of me never returning home? And what about the people from school? Not like I was friends with them, but would they care? Would they even give a second glance toward my casket? My empty casket…for they would never be able to recover a body…Would anyone even know I'm dead? After all I'm only 'missing'. They would never know…Nobody would ever know…They'd always be left to wonder, 'what ever happened to young Hannah Taylor?' But I guess they'll never know now, will they? For a moment in my mind I had imagined myself finding the strength to swim back to the surface. But after a long while of suffering my thoughts and memories were taken away, and my mind returned to the bottom of the lagoon. I blinked my eyes one last time, a humungous amount of pressure being released from my head. For some reason it doesn't hurt like I thought it would. The pain and dizziness slowly vanished. If this is how death feels, then I've had nothing to fear these past sixteen years. I'm not scared anymore. The cool water and the quiet, tranquil sounds of the lagoon were actually almost peaceful. I began to fall. I fell further and further into the darkness as it threatened to swallow me whole.

 **Peter's Perspective:**

Drowning is seen as being loud and splashy. Someone screams for help as they aimlessly wave their arms. In reality, drowning is quiet. Their movements are subtle and they rarely make any noise at all. One moment their head is bobbing above the water and then the next it's gone.

And that's my favorite part.

Things can change in an instant. One minute your lungs are full of sweet oxygen, and the next, they're screaming in agony, hoping to sip another breath before death. I watched as darkness enveloped her. The water closed in around her, making her no longer visible. She seemed to hold her breath for as long as she could, too long in fact. About a minute later for a short moment her head bobbed above the water, long enough for me to see her big blue eyes that began to turn red. But soon enough she was back below the surface. Her arms and legs had grown too tired to fight as she struggled to bring herself back towards fresh air. I sat in my crouch and watched small bubbles of air ripple at the surface of the water. By now the briskness of the water will have set in and the pain will start to fade; slowly, then all at once. I gazed into the water, no longer able to pin point a shadow. She had to have been close to the bottom by now. The mermaids most likely finished their doing about a minute ago. Now all that was left to do was walk away. To leave the scene as if nothing happened, because that indeed was the case. She got her wish. She got to leave Neverland. Not only was she a nuisance to how I run my camp, she gave me a sense of uneasiness. The way she would look at me deeply disturbed me in ways I couldn't express. It felt as though she had to power to look beyond my eyes that I purposely devised to lack warmth and amiability. That was a sole reason that I couldn't allow her another chance. Regardless, the bottom of the lagoon was where she belonged. She should be glad she's down there instead of up here running frantically through Neverland. I mean what does she have to offer? An audacious personality? Estrogen filled mood swings? Yeah, no thank you. I waited as the last few air bubbles appeared at the surface of the lagoon. Standing up from my crouch I turned away from the lagoon. I exhaled a deep, refreshing breath. Finally, it was over.

" _So that's your solution?"_

That strange familiar voice reiterated, echoing in my head.

I did what was best for her.

" _The best you could do was drown her so that she wouldn't have to endure 'worse pain'? This is a new low, even for you."_

I make my own decisions. And every decision I make is the right one.

" _Oh really? So ignoring Gail's warning about Hook's ship was the right decision?"_

My heart beat hard in my chest. The mention of that name made my heart ache.

That was a long time ago…

" _So? It still happened. You made a mistake."_

It wasn't my fault.

" _Lying about it to yourself won't make you feel better. It never will."_

What's done is done. There wasn't anything I could've done to change it.

" _Have you ever thought that maybe you could have saved him?"_

That's not true—

"Or what about Ja—"

Shut up!

I clenched my fists as my knuckles cracked. I released a frustrated breath and sighed.

" _The girl doesn't belong at the bottom of the lagoon."_

What do you know? All you're good for is making me realize how insane I am.

" _I know enough that you're making a huge mistake."_

So what if I saved her? She's of no use to me.

" _That's what you think…"_

From then the voice didn't come back. I could finally think for myself. Looking over my shoulder I glanced at the lagoon. Not a single ripple was present in the cold water. Who says there's even the possibility of her still being alive? Even so, what would the Lost Boys think if she came back? They'd think I've gone soft…But they'd know better than that. Or else they'd be the ones at the bottom of the lagoon. I turned myself to face the lifeless water. My gaze fell to the ground as I released a heavy sigh.

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

It was coldness I had felt upon entering the water was completely gone. My heart was no longer beating rapidly in panic. The urgency for air was less apparent than ever. I no longer needed it. Everything felt as though I was in a dream. There weren't sparkles in my field of vision anymore. Even with my eyes open everything was black. So for once, I let them close. I let the iciness take over my body. I felt nothing. I was nothing. I began to wonder just how long it would take for my heart to stop beating. In movies or books it seemed as though drowning wasn't an extremely long process. After only thirty seconds more the victim sinks. With their effort they break the surface again, gulping at the summer air and then with barely a splash they're under again. The next time they sink faster and the panic sets in. Nobody is looking, nobody is aware of the tragedy that is occurring. They aren't small children under their mothers' watchful eyes anymore. And neither was I. I hadn't been in a long time…I felt so incredibly sleepy, like waking up at the break of dawn to go to school; all you want is to go back to sleep. All I wanted to do was escape this nightmare…Through the cold iciness of my skin I felt a sensation of warmth and radiance. A desperate hot wave came over me, warming even my frosted toes and fingertips. At first the sensation began at my forearms, but it spread throughout my entire body. The warmth was comforting, like a radiating fire in the middle of a long winter. The numbness began to fade from my body in which the cold began to return. Every second I felt more frigid water against my skin, but the warmth I felt overpowered it. It was as though I was brought back to life. I attempted to open my eyes, but even when I did so I could still see nothing but darkness. It took a few moments before I realized that I was no longer at the bottom of the lagoon. I was floating to the top, or at least, so I thought. My first assumption was that maybe my corpse was floating to the surface of the water, but I was still here. I could still think.

I was still alive.

I couldn't comprehend a single thing that was happening. For instance, how have I not suffocated from the lack of oxygen? How is my body returning itself to the surface without seeing death? However, in these past few minutes I had seen death; the angel of death. He looked right at me and whispered the prolonged words…'to die…would be an awfully great—'

And then the angel of death disappeared. The radiant sun shone upon my skin, warming my heart and my soul. I hadn't opened my eyes, and so the only way I knew I was above the water was the sensation of water running off of my skin. However, even though I knew I was above the surface I did not gasp for air. I didn't even open my mouth. My lips remained sealed along with my fate. I couldn't bring myself to choke up the water in my lungs. My head was pounding along with my heart. I had no control of my limbs, as it seemed that someone or something took over. I was practically floating on air. But just a moment later I was no longer floating; I was laying in a bed of grass. Even though I couldn't see it I could feel how luscious and vibrant it was. Soon the dizziness rushed back from my head. Any sounds I could hear were cloudy and muffled. Deep within I felt water sloshing around inside of me. It felt as though every cavity in my body was filled with water. Very quickly I felt like I was losing myself all over again. Firm pressure was then present against my chest; pulsating, roughly pushing on my body. It continued without ceasing. My body twitched, and suddenly I felt a tingle deep within my throat. Water flooded up from my throat, soon pouring from my mouth. I coughed viciously as water fell from my cold, dead lips. I sat up and rolled over onto my shoulder, clenching my sides. Every time I thought I had finished coughing more water would fall from my throat. My eyes shot open, water droplets blurring my vision. Coughing up the last bits of water I rolled over onto my back. I breathed deep breaths with quickness. The sensation of breathing felt unfamiliar and alien after not feeling it in what felt like so long. A moment later when my vision cleared my eyes wandered and focused on the figure standing before me. I could recognize these passionate green eyes and brown mahogany hair anywhere. Standing before me, sopping wet from the water of the lagoon, was Peter Pan. His usually tidy hair was sloppy and untamed, dripping beads of water from its ends. His breathing at first seemed heavy, but only seconds later it was revealed that the water didn't nearly have such an effect on him as it did me. I gazed into his eyes, perplexed and afraid; afraid of what he was capable of. Yet I was fearful of how easily he had tricked me. I wasn't known for being gullible, but it was like it took him barely, if at all, any effort to nearly kill me. And I say nearly only with the fact that he unpredictably had mercy on my soul. I was still lost in his confusing and perplexing eyes when they fell away from mine. Between us was absolute silence, besides the small chirping of woodpeckers in the distance. I wanted to speak. I wished to ask him why he did what he did. However my tongue was incapable of forming any sort of words from the English language. Why on Earth did he save my life after threatening it? Or why did he want me dead…? His eyes returned back to mine, this time with a tint of gray specks in them. I could immediately tell they held a dark and clandestine nature. I sat up on my forearms, looking up to him as he looked down upon me.

"Still think mermaids are funny?" Pan glowered.

My mouth still had trouble forming words. I continued looking directly into his dark eyes as I relentlessly breathed heavily. Pan chuckled menacingly at my inability to come back with a smart mouth answer.

"If you wish to remain above sea level, I suggest you take a few notes…" he expressed.

My lips twitched with the natural itch to sass back, but I internally kicked myself to keep it in me. Pan strolled back and forth in front of me when he began to convey his orders aloud.

"I suggest you familiarize yourself with the rules I have instituted just for you."

He took an extensive step towards me, narrowing his eyes.

"Rule number one: you do and say what I tell you to…which includes staying out of my way…"

Taking his time he took another extensive step towards me.

"Rule number two: no more of this back-sassing you appear to be accustomed to…"

I remained still in my spot on the grass. Taking one final step he stopped a few inches in front of me, looking down upon me.

"And last but not least, you tell no one of what just happened here…A single word to _anyone_ about this—"

Pan lowered his face level with mine. It was close enough, in fact, that I could feel his hot breath against my cold cheeks.

"—will result in a punishment worse than death."

I swallowed the dry air in my mouth as he pulled himself away from me. He stood up straight.

"Do I make myself clear?" he questioned firmly.

I laid there doing my best to comprehend everything he had just told me. Only I didn't realize that I had practically ignored his question due to my distracted thoughts. He spoke with more taut and vex.

"I said…do I make myself clear?"

Without hesitation I calmly nodded my head, making him relax his nearly furious temper. The moment he had calmed down I noticed the gray specks in his eyes fade. Never had I seen a person hold so much of their emotion in their eyes. It was quite magnificent actually. I'd say it was truly remarkable if I wasn't scared half to death. At the next opportune moment Pan turned on his heel and headed into the opposite direction of camp. I watched him as he strolled into the forest and soon disappeared into the leaves of many lively trees. Laying here in absolute shock, Pan left me with hundreds of unanswered questions. He never said why he saved me…And for some reason when he would speak to me firmly, I would doubt his actual intentions. Call it instinct if you will, but something is just off with that boy. I laid back down in the grass where the weeds were nature's pillow for my head. It had finally struck me that I wasn't going home. And there was a good chance that I never would. But for some reason, it didn't matter to me anymore. At the bottom of that lagoon I was content with dying. If home was such a good place, why was I okay with the fact that I was going to perish in one of the worst ways possible? This whole experience had opened my eyes. It removed the color-correcting filter on my life. My eyes looked into the sky where I saw a large amount of baby blues and fluffy whites. I watched as the clouds floated by in different shapes and sizes. Every single cloud was different from one another, or at least, that's what anyone else would say. People typically say that no two clouds are alike, and that's what made them beautiful. But I disagreed. In fact, many clouds look the same as they pass by. For the small window of time that you see them, one really has to be special for it to catch your eye. And that's what was beautiful about it. Because in the world, a lot of people look and act the same. But what's special is finding something special within the ordinary crowd. It seemed as though I couldn't help but relate to the clouds. Sometimes I just wished that I could be the cloud that was different. The cloud that was special. A cloud that wasn't easily blown away into thin air. And maybe that was why I ended up here. Maybe I was just too normal for the real world. Like there wasn't any possible chance of me standing out there. And even though I resist it, maybe I can make something of myself here. Just something…anything…Because all I am…or seem to be…is a weight…I sink straight to the bottom…when all I want to do is soar…Now call me crazy, but if Pan hadn't done this to me, I couldn't have possibly seen what was right in front of me…That I was unhappy. But it seems as though I'm not the only one who's unhappy. Though he may seem cold, I see something…Something deep within that's too afraid to show itself. Like a small child who's afraid to come out from under the bed. A child who fears the world around them. I could never relate to anything more. If I've learned anything today, it's that I can't give up now; not ever. I needed to get back to camp. I desire to be strong like the Lost Boys. I have to figure out who I really am and what I'm capable of. And finding who I was wasn't my only aspiration.

It was my mission to find out who Peter Pan really was.

—

A.N:

Hey guys! So the good news is…I FINALLY finished this chapter. I sincerely apologize for keeping you waiting. School has become incredibly overwhelming and it just keeps piling on more work and AGH! But I'm just glad I was able to finish this for you guys. Meanwhile, what do you think is going on with Pan? Is he going soft? Or has he always been soft? What's in store for Hannah when the Lost Boys find her alive? As always I'd love to hear your thoughts and predictions in the comments :) I hope to get you a new chapter as soon as possible. I can't make any promises as to when it will be done, but hopefully it won't take nearly as long as this one did. I love you all so much! I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	7. Chapter 7: She Lives

Chapter 7: She Lives

 **Jake's Perspective:**

I cracked my knuckles as beads of sweat rushed down my forehead from the despotic hot sun beating down on me. The air was humid as well as blistering. I pushed my shovel deeper into the dry soil and lifted it, throwing it into the pile beside me. I shoved my shovel back into the dirt, lifting the dirt and throwing it into the same pile. I did this over and over, pulling up the weeds and the grass as the sun remained unforgiving. The heat had my sweat running like raindrops dripping down a car window. I licked my lips, only to make them become even drier. A nice, cool glass of water was calling my name in the distance, but I could spare no time. If my father saw me come inside for even a few short minutes he would most likely whack me over the head with my shovel. And that's if he's in a good mood. Every day there were jobs to be done, and considering how my father had no intention to take care of his responsibilities, they all became my responsibilities. Corn needed to be shucked, crops needed to be fertilized, animals needed feeding, fences needed fixing as well did the shed, new pens needed to be built, new crops needed to be planted, and all by myself, it would take an average of fourteen hours of the day. Each day was the same; wake up before dawn and fall asleep before midnight. And since not much work can be done after dark, I have to spend that time cleaning up my father's messes. But even though it was hard work, I didn't mind it. It kept me away from my father for long periods of time; which was quite luxurious if you ask me. Sooner than later the clock would strike noon and the sun's intensity will triple. If one thing's for sure, it's going to be a heck of a long day.

 **Sam's Perspective:**

I stood leaning next to a mahogany tree while Julian tied the ropes to set the trap.

"Are you gonna help me or are you just gonna stand there and look pretty?" Julian remarked sarcastically, looking up from the stake he was pushing into the ground.

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders with a frown engulfing my face.

"What's the point? Like we're going to actually trap anything…"

Julian looked into my eyes as he exhaled a loud sigh.

"Sam, listen, there's nothing we can do. What's done is done. It's not even like we had a choice in any of it" he responded.

I stood up from the tree and exclaimed;

"But he didn't even give her a chance! She was innocent! She didn't deserve whatever he's done!"

He shushed me as I made a lot of noise. I had forgotten that we can no longer be very loud in the forests, especially in the middle of the day. He released yet another sigh.

"News flash, none of us deserve this" he groaned.

A feeling of shock sank deep into me.

"Don't you even care?" I asked desperately.

Julian didn't make a sound. He stopped what he was doing and stared off into space for a moment.

"Of course I do…But the problem is when you care too much, you get hurt easily. And we can't let our guard down anytime soon. Another boy disappeared two days ago…"

My stomach twisted into a knot.

"What? Who?" I interrogated.

Julian's jaw clenched and his eyelids were shut tight for a moment. He then spoke without a hint of hesitation.

"Slightly. Slightly disappeared when he went out hunting. He never came back."

I sighed. It seems as though nobody is safe anymore. My stomach remained queasy.

"Are you kidding? Slightly has been here since the very beginning. He's one of the most experienced Lost Boys Neverland has ever known!"

Julian shook his head and rested his eyes.

"I know. And that's why we have to be alert at all times…"

Julian's gaze left mine as he returned to his task of setting up the trap. I leaned back onto the mahogany tree and exhaled a deep sigh.

"So are you gonna help me or what?" Julian questioned mockingly.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"What do you need?"

He looked around himself as his eyes fell upon something in the distance.

"Do me a favor and go grab that big pile of leaves over there between those two bushes."

I scoffed;

"Of course. Make me the delivery boy…"

Julian smirked;

"Oh but not only are you a delivery boy, you're a _pretty_ delivery boy…"

"You got that right" I taunted.

Doing as I was told I turned away from Julian and walked over to the large pile of rotten leaves. Grabbing a large bundle of them I stood up, turning myself in the direction of Julian.

"You know what, I'm starting to think you just think of me as a pretty boy" I reckoned.

He mockingly replied;

"Yup, that's exactly what you are."

I smirked;

"Well I'll have you know, I am more than just a pretty face. I have courage, bravery, and most importantly-"

I screamed as something had just run into me, knocking me over onto the ground. The pile of leaves I was holding sprung into the air, falling in front of my field of vision. I could hear Julian as he dropped the knife he was holding along with the sound of heavy panting. My eyes remained shut out of my fear. When I got the courage to open my eyes I lost all of the breath in my lungs. Laying on the ground in front of me was Hannah, the girl that was supposed to have been 'taken care of'. After several pants she questioned nervously;

"Sam?"

My eyes widened…

Oh no…

Not again…

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

My feet slipped outwards on the dry leaves as my sopping wet clothing dampened my sneakers. I passed in between trees, doing my best not to slow down. Each step I took was more dangerous than the last. I inhaled deeper and faster the longer I sprinted. My throat and lungs could barely take what I was putting them through right now, after the fact that I had almost drowned just a short time ago. My heart beat frantically as the boy was catching up to me. He was faster; faster than I'd be able to run. He was after me, and it had me on the edge. What kind of freaky Neverland island is this? It seemed as though the boy didn't break a sweat as he sprinted after me. He wore a brown cloak similar to the ones the other boys wore along with a red fur pelt of some sort. The way his dilated eyes looked at me had me frightened beyond belief. They looked inhumane as if there was no soul inhabiting him. He was so close to me I knew that if I didn't give it my all he would take me down. Deep down I searched for the last bit of energy I had and rapidly darted further. It appeared to have worked. I had gained almost ten feet between us. I kept pushing through the pain and sickness I was feeling. I felt the need to check how far he was behind me, but I was hit with a sudden epiphany.

The boy had vanished…

It was as if he dissolved into thin air. There was no trace of a threat of any kind. My heart seemed to beat faster, not knowing where the boy had gone. I continued to run, still unsure of his whereabouts and afraid to stop. It's very similar to when you find a spider in your bedroom. You go get a newspaper to kill it with, but when you come back it's gone. And that's the part that's more frightening; the fact that you don't know where it's scurried off to. I began to shake out of terror. I continued to look behind myself as I ran; doing my best to spot this mysterious boy. But suddenly the wind was knocked out of me when I collided with something sturdy. I knocked over what I realized was a person, as they shrieked and fell to the ground. A pile of crunchy leaves sprung into the air as each leaf individually floated to the ground, blocking my field of vision. I gasped for air as the sudden stop of motion made my body nauseous. My eyes opened. Through the falling leaves, I was met with a familiar face. That shaggy brown hair accompanied by bluish, green eyes was unmistakable.

"Sam?" I questioned aloud.

I stared into his colorful and shocked eyes. He looked like he was going to throw up as his face turned white. Running up from behind Sam was none other than Julian who looked even more perplexed. My heart continued to beat faster and faster as I looked around myself. I had no idea where the boy ran off to…

He was gone…

 **Sam's Perspective:**

I looked at Hannah with pure fear in my eyes. She was sopping wet and her face was white as snow. She's alive…

"Y-you're s-supposed to b-be…"

She was panting as though she was out of breath. She quickly got to her feet and spoke frantically;

"You need to help me! Please! He's after me!"

Julian interjected;

"Who's after you?"

I stood up from my place on the ground. It was as if I was looking at a ghost. Hannah still seemed shaken up from whatever she was running from.

"Is it Pan?" I questioned.

Cause I mean who wouldn't run away from Pan if he was chasing you? His eyebrows alone are intimidating!

"No! It wasn't Pan! It-it was a boy. One of your Lost Boys" she spoke frantically.

The moment she said it was a Lost Boy I turned my head towards Julian and his eyes widened. He seemed just as worried as I was.

Julian began;

"Are you sure it was a Lost Boy? How are you even here? What happened back with Pan? Does he know you're alive?"

She shook her head uncontrollably;

"Yes, I'm sure it was a Lost Boy and—"

She paused for a moment.

"Wait, what do you mean 'does he know I'm alive'?" she questioned.

Crap…Nice one Julian. I shot him a glare and looked back at Hannah with a slightly nervous smile. Immediately her eyes darkened.

"Did you guys know he was going to try to kill me?!" she exclaimed.

You know, for once I'd love to experience Julian getting beat up by a girl…

Maybe today's my lucky day…

"Why didn't you guys tell me?!" she yelled, stepping towards me.

I backed up a few steps and held up my hands in defense as Julian shushed her to be quiet.

Julian claimed;

"You thought we were nut jobs! How could we expect you to believe us?"

She growled;

"I don't know…maybe just say 'hey, our psychotic leader is gonna try to kill you if you don't follow his rules'."

Julian and Hannah locked eyes.

"Okay we get it, we're idiots. But can you please just fill us in on what the heck is going on? How are you alive right now?" Julian begged.

Hannah's face relaxed as she calmed down.

"I'm not even sure…" she responded honestly.

Her eyes fell to the ground for a moment before continuing.

"He let me go. He left me to drown in the lagoon with the mermaids about a mile from here. I was close to death when he jumped in after me and brought me back up to shore. Then he just left."

I looked at Julian who appeared stunned. Pan? Showing mercy to a girl he just met? What kind of soap opera is this?!

Julian shook his head;

"It doesn't make any sense…"

Hannah raised a brow;

"You're telling me…This is the weirdest day of my life…"

Julian and I both chuckled.

"That's a day in Neverland for you" I spoke.

Hannah exhaled and rested her palms on the back of her neck. Strands of her hair continued to drizzle drops of water onto her already sopping wet clothes. Her eyes laid on the ground in front of her as she lost herself in thought.

"I don't even know what to do now…Pan said he'd help me get home, but obviously, that's a total bust. It looks like I'm back to being the new girl again…" she speculated.

At that moment I empathized for Hannah. She's just been through so much within the last twenty-four hours.

Julian stepped forward;

"Does anyone besides Pan know you're alive?"

Hannah remained quiet for a moment as she was lost in a daze. Seconds later her bright blue shining eyes looked up at him.

"No…"

She released another heavy sigh as she turned around and looked deep into the forest.

"The only one is the boy who was hunting me down just now. And I know for a fact that he was a Lost Boy. But he just…disappeared…"

Julian's eyes narrowed in suspicion;

"How do you know? Had you seen him before?"

She shook her head;

"No, but he was wearing a cloak; one similar to the ones all of you boys wear. But he wasn't just wearing a cloak. He also had some sort of pelt…like a squirrel or a fox or something…"

My heart sank into my chest.

"Slightly…" I whispered aloud in realization.

"What?" Hannah asked, turning around to look at us.

Julian interrupted;

"Nothing, nothing…"

She looked at us skeptically but dismissed it. Julian stared daggers at me before speaking;

"Hey Sam, a word?"

We turned our backs to Hannah before taking a few steps away so she couldn't hear us.

Julian whispered;

"Sam, she can't know what's going on. She's barely capable of protecting herself. If she found out there were more threats than Pan she would freak. We have to keep her calm throughout all of this."

Shaking my head I spoke desperately;

"Well, what do you think we should do?" We can't just leave her out here on her own. Especially if it really was Slightly she saw—"

"Listen—" Julian cut me off.

"—It could've been anyone. We can't just assume it was him—"

"Oh come on Julian! A fox pelt? That's Slightly's calling card and you know it! Nobody is safe anymore" I interjected.

I sighed and rubbed my tired eyes with closed fists.

"What do you wanna do about Hannah? Everyone thinks she's dead. If she shows up at camp everyone will freak out and bombard Pan with questions."

Julian didn't respond at first.

"What other choice do we have? Julian spoke, shrugging his shoulders.

I glanced over at Hannah who was watching the forest intently out of what I presumed to be paranoia. I turned back to Julian.

"If we bring her back to camp somebody's got to train her. At this rate, she'd probably be devoured by a bear before anything else. At least have someone teach her how to survive and how to fight."

Julian agreed;

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll train her every morning before we go out hunting as long as she's willing. And I'll give her a little crash course on surviving in Neverland too."

"Well, she doesn't really have the option to say no. We're all she's got" I said.

Julian nodded and started walking back over to Hannah before I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"One last thing—" I added.

Julian cocked a brow in suspicion.

"If you're going to train her, you also need to teach her how to handle Pan so that next time he won't actually kill her."

Julian rolled his eyes.

"I don't think any of us are qualified enough to teach that" he smirked.

Shrugging my shoulders we turned to Hannah and walked back over to discuss our plans.

"Devoured by bears, huh?" Hannah said with folded arms and raised brows.

Hehe, oops…

I gave Hannah yet another nervous smile. I laughed;

"I mean, you know, worst case scenario…"

She fluttered her lashes at me and chuckled;

"So what's the deal? Am I too girly to stick with you guys for the time being?"

Julian and I both smiled. I began;

"Well, actually I came up with a genius plan—"

"Okay, enough sweetheart. Let's just explain it to her on our way back. It's gonna get dark soon" Julian snickered.

Hannah narrowed her eyes and stood confused.

"Already? But it feels like it's only been a few hours?"

Julian scoffed;

"Ahh, you have so much to learn young student of mine."

Julian patted Hannah on the back as we began our journey back towards camp.

Well…

This oughta be interesting…

 **Jake's Perspective:**

The sun by now had set, taking the blazing hot weather with it. The sky was dark and the air was left feeling cool and damp. It was late into the night, as I had already finished feeding the cattle and fixing the shed. I had just left the shed as I approached my 'home' to finally get some rest. What was bizarre, however, was that the porch lights were on. I chuckled aloud as I thought to myself. My drunken father is too unmotivated to walk out the front door of the house, yet he is motivated enough to turn on the porch lights? And for whom would need these lights beside me? As if he's going to have any visitors anytime soon…I honestly don't remember the last time we had anyone come over to our house. The last time either of my brothers visited or even sent a letter had to have been about a year before I left. It was depressing not knowing where they ended up or where their lives are now. Part of me resented the fact that neither one of them took me with them. Part of me felt abandoned when they never responded to my letters to come back for me. My opinion on my brothers really changed when they ignored my cries for help. I had always looked up to them, but seeing as they didn't bother to come back for me, they were no longer my role models. It seemed as though they were always so kind and helpful, but it was all just a hoax. I climbed the steps of my back porch and reached for the door handle when I was struck with a sudden realization. How had I gotten so lucky in meeting Peter and escaping this place? My odds were one in a million, yet I was granted a miracle. I had stayed so long and remained miserable for what felt like an eternity. There were so many painful memories held in this place…It was almost unbearable.

Snapping out of my daze, I grabbed the door handle to the screen door and proceeded inside. Every moment was artificial and predictable. I didn't even flinch when I heard glass shattering only inches away from the right side of my face. Without hesitating I flipped the light switch as I saw my father sitting in the kitchen directly across from me on the same stool he'd always sit on. Kicking aside the shards of glass on the floor I took two steps closer to him. As I looked at him the only thing I could feel was the feeling of betrayal.

"Some things just never change…" I spoke in a disappointed tone.

He eyed me and seemed less than thrilled.

"What did you just say boy?" he groused as he stared at me with cold eyes.

His neglected appearance hadn't changed. The familiar stench of alcohol was still filling every cavity in the room.

"I mean why should I plead for you to be the loving father I once knew? After all, you used to always say I was destined to accomplish great things. But now, you would sell me for a bottle of whiskey any day if you were given the opportunity" I replied irritably.

He raised his left brow and replied with a chuckle;

"Why, that's not true. If I sold you who else would do my taxes?"

I felt my blood begin to boil as a cocky grin stretched across his face. I'm the only reason he actually has any money…

"Listen, kid, I think you should be grateful that you're not out on the streets or in the wilderness. I supply you with food, a house, a job, and a dog. What more could a teenage boy possibly need?"

I clenched my jaw and my muscles tightened. My dry mouth spoke;

"A father."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Being homeless is better than being unloved…" I said quietly.

I began to see my father's eyes grow dark.

"Well if you feel so strongly then why don't you just leave? Why have you stuck around all this time?" He questioned.

And that was the question. Why had I stuck around through the beatings? Through the verbal abuse? What was there for me here when I had no other obligations? But after a moment I came to a realization. It was one of those things where you don't consciously do it. You just do it because it's the right thing to do. I cleared my throat and spoke truthfully.

"Because I didn't want to leave you all alone like everyone else did."

My father candidly laughed. Not just a snobby chuckle, but a full on belly laugh.

"Is that what you think? That you bring me some sort of comfort?"

I stood in front of the man that I was forced to call my father as he continued to laugh.

"I'll tell you why you're still here; because you're a coward. You're here for you. You're afraid to leave and start over. The thought of being alone makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry like the weakling you are. You wouldn't be able to last a day in the real world. You live in this fantasy where everything is perfect and every day is filled with adventure and wonder. But really, you create these fantasies to cope with the fact that you'll never become anything. You're afraid to come to terms that you'll never be able to make your mother proud."

I felt the warmth in my cheeks and the tears in my eyes. I jarringly pushed the glass vase off of the table beside me, making it shatter onto the floor. My father stood up suddenly from his stool as he cursed;

"What the hell is the matter with you?!"

I snickered aloud;

"Wow. That's the first time I've seen you stand up for more than just getting a beer."

He stomped over to me as I took a step back.

"You do not speak to me that way!" He shouted viciously.

I rolled my eyes.

"Or what, you'll kill me? Break my ribs? Lock me in the basement closet?" I challenged.

My father growled.

"You need to be taught a lesson…"

I scoffed as he spoke with authority. But apparently, that was the last straw. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and dragged me over a few feet to the stove. I fought back the best I could, but my father was a strong man with a strong build. No matter how hard I pulled I couldn't yank myself free. He turned on the gas, causing a flame to emit from the top of the stove. He glanced around himself as the block of knives caught his attention. Pulling the largest steak knife from the block he stuck the metal blade into the flame.

"You know what happens when you play with fire, son?"

I avoided eye contact with him while tugging away until he grabbed me by my hair.

"Look at me when I speak to you!" he yelled.

Yanking at my hair he made me look him directly in the eyes.

"You know what happens when you play with fire?" He asked again.

He let go of my hair and forcibly grabbed my right arm.

"You get burned."

He pulled the knife out of from the flame. The metal blade showed hues of orange and red. I could feel the warmth almost six inches away. He brought it close to my skin where I felt like even without touching it would give me blisters. I shut my eyes tight as he pressed the side of the blade against my skin. For a moment I was in agonizing pain, but a near split second later my eyes shot open. I was laying in my bed as I heard my father's voice from the kitchen calling for me.

"Jake! If you don't get your ass outside and start working I'm going to make you wish you were never born!"

I sighed in relief but also in sadness. I pulled my right arm out from underneath the covers on my bed examining my unwounded arm. Did the day reset at midnight? Or maybe did I pass out from the pain? But nothing made sense. I'm still supposed to dream here, aren't I? Or must I fall asleep before midnight to have the privilege to dream? I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Sometimes I really wish Gail could be a little more thorough…

"Jake!" My father shouted once more.

My gosh, I definitely have not missed hearing this every morning…

I groaned and sat up in my bed.

So this is my life now…Can't say I'm particularly a fan of this new yet old lifestyle…I closed my eyes and exhaled a deep breath. I've only been here for a day and I'm at the point where I will do anything to get out of here. Unfortunately, I don't even know where to begin…But I know one person who does…

I have to speak to Gail again…

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Another update is finally here! Yay! I'm so excited to finally get this storyline going and I can't wait to hear what you guys think. How do you guys feel about Hannah running into Sam and Julian? And what do you think of Jake's 'new' life now? Do you guys really think it was Slightly that was going after Hannah? What does all of this mean? I'd love to hear all of your thoughts and predictions so please don't hesitate to comment! A new chapter will hopefully be posted soon. Don't forget to comment if you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	8. Chapter 8: Unplanned For

Chapter 8: Unplanned For

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

Sticks and branches crunched underneath our feet as we walked. There was still plenty of light for us to see as Julian and Sam led me through the forest.

"What do you mean 'training'?" I asked in a confused tone.

Julian chuckled;

"You don't actually expect us to just let you roam freely around Neverland without knowing how to defend yourself, do you?"

I scoffed and looked at him like he was delusional.

"I know how to fight" I countered in a snobby tone.

Julian rolled his eyes;

"If you're such a good fighter then why did you lose against Pan in the challenge that nearly led to your death?"

At first, I didn't quite know how to reply. But as my fuse began to shorten I spoke;

"Maybe because he's a spoiled dipwad that cheated."

Both of the boys scoffed.

"He played by his rules Hannah" Sam said.

Ding ding ding!

"Exactly. Any rules created by him are automatically BS" I countered.

The boys both laughed and smirked at each other.

"Boy, Pan's really gonna love having you around" Julian spoke, his voice drowned in sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes;

"How could he not? I'm adorable…"

At this point, I recognized the area around us. Before I knew it we stood before the large wall that guarded the camp.

"It's just us Connor!" Julian yelled to the tower above.

I watched the boy holding a hand-made crossbow ready to fire as he examined the three of us. He skimmed over Julian and Sam when his eyes fell upon me. Looking down at me he spoke quietly;

"I take it this must be somewhat…unplanned for…"

Julian scoffed;

"Tell me about it…"

I shot him a look as sharp as a dagger and elbowed him in the side. Julian laughed it off.

"You're free to go…" Connor declared as he just looked at me in shock.

Why can't people here just keep their eyes to themselves?

Julian began walking through the entrance to the camp, expecting us to follow. As I followed behind him I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I'm the dead girl. Nobody knows I'm alive and expect me to have already been decapitated or something. At first, nobody looked at us when we walked through camp. But one by one, boys began to notice. None of them spoke aloud, just whispered in awe and confusion. My heart rate began to increase. There were so many eyes on me. But a few moments later everyone's eyes fell back to whatever they were doing.

"Come on cupcake, we gotta show you where you're staying…" Sam said.

Cupcake?!

I shot Sam a nasty look of hatred.

"Don't call me cupcake. No nicknames. Just Hannah."

My stern expression must've scared him because he put his hands up in defense.

Yeah, that's what I thought…

I didn't even think about where I was gonna stay. I had the whole 'get the hell out of here' mindset going for me for a while. We passed by the campfire and Pan's hut before approaching some other huts. As I observed the camp around me my eyes fell upon something I hadn't noticed before. There grew a large ash tree with deep carvings in its bark. I squinted my eyes in an attempt to read what was carved, but it was difficult due to it being so far away. As I neared closer I was finally able to recognize the writing.

They were names.

I stopped in my tracks while Julian and Sam were a few feet ahead of me.

"What are these names for?" I asked aloud as I stood before the tree.

Both Julian and Sam stopped and looked in my direction.

Julian cleared his throat;

"They're the Lost Boys that have gone missing…"

For a moment I stood perplexed, but as I read the name 'Slightly' on the tree I had flashed back to the boy who chased me in the forest. But this tree had to have had more than two dozen names on it…There couldn't possibly be that many that…

My mind wandered until I glanced over to a tree right next to the tree in front of me. This one had only two names on it; Gail and Jake.

"Why are those ones by themselves?" I questioned, my tone trailing in curiosity.

This time the boys seemed more hesitant to answer. I turned my head and looked to them. Sam's gaze was looking toward the ground while Julian's was locked with the tree. Their expressions seemed quite…painful…

"They've left us…" he mustered out.

I examined the names even closer.

"Well, when are they coming back?" I asked innocently, turning my head to look at them.

Sam's eyes looked somber as they fell back to the ground. Julian just lightly shook his head.

"Not soon enough…" he spoke quietly.

I had suddenly realized what Julian meant by 'left us' and felt like a complete idiot.

"Oh…I'm…sorry…"

Julian shook his head and insisted;

"Come on, we gotta keep moving."

I quickly caught up to the boys as we walked closer to the huts. Julian was very quick to point to a specific hut and spoke;

"That one…That one's yours" he concluded quite quickly.

I examined it and took notice of how nice it appeared on the outside. It was the second from the end and appeared to have not been used for a while.

"Why don't you go check it out?" Julian suggested.

I shrugged my shoulders and started walking towards the hut. I soon stood outside the door to the hut and felt a shiver creep up my spine. Something just felt…odd…I grasped the knob and turned it clockwise, opening the door. The door made a noticeable creaking sound as it swung open. The curtains has been pulled on the windows, making the whole hut dark and damp. Slowly strolling over to the windows I opened the curtains to let in some light. As I pulled the curtain back instantly light poured into the room, illuminating everything within it. I then walked across the room to the other window and pulled the curtains back, revealing even more light. This allowed me to see the hut at its potential. It was small and cozy with a bed, a vanity with a mirror, and a small bedside table. When I walked over to the bed I had noticed that surprisingly, it had been neatly made. This was mostly surprising due to the fact that it was a camp full of teenage boys. I do have to say however that it was definitely noticeable that a boy used to live in this hut. The hut kinda just smelled like boy. Not in a bad way, but it was just a distinct guy smell mixed with forest for some reason. I looked over to the bedside table and noticed an unlit candle that had seemingly been used a lot. It would probably last another twelve hours before it would run out of wax. Besides the candle on the nightstand something else peculiar stuck out to me. Sitting on the nightstand was a dry washcloth that was left bunched up.

That's just…odd…I guess…

"You making yourself at home?"

I turned toward the entrance of the hut where Julian stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

I scoffed;

"About as homey as it's gonna get."

Julian spoke;

"Oh come on, cheer up! You don't stick out _that_ much!" Julian laughed.

I raised a brow and stared Julian down.

I responded;

"Mhmm."

I began to turn away from him until he started;

"Guess what time it is?"

Time for you to leave?

"Time for you to find a hobby?" I replied.

Julian chuckled;

"Yes. And…it's time to train!"

What? Now?

I looked at him confused.

"What, we're doing this now?"

Julian quickly ran over to me and started to push me along as I fought.

"We have no time to lose! You gotta learn not to be a lazy sack of potatoes and get yourself out there fighting!"

I fought back as he continued to push me toward the door.

"Um I enjoy being a lazy sack of potatoes, thank you very much" I replied as I struggled to fight against him.

Julian stopped pushing me and stood before me.

"Look—" he began.

"You gotta be able to stay on your toes when it comes to Pan. Wouldn't you much rather be prepared the next time he challenges you?" he tried.

I rolled my eyes because I knew he was right. If anything I want to be able to kick Pan's ass the next time he tries to push me around…or drown me…

"Yeah…I know…" I accepted defeat.

Julian smirked;

"Then let's get a move on! We've got a lot of work to do."

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Is this gonna hurt—"

"No more questions!" Julian cut me off.

He began to run out of the hut, expecting me to follow his lead.

My gosh Hannah…

What have you gotten yourself into?

 **Hook's Perspective:**

I stormed into my office and immediately threw open the door to my potion cabinet. As I searched for the vial I was looking for I pulled it out, come to find it was practically empty. There was just a sprinkle of purple powder left; not nearly enough to take care of the boy on deck.

"Cecil!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Not a few moments later I heard the stomping of footsteps coming from the deck above. The door to my office flew open and Cecil came running down the steps. The yelling of the boy was loud and disruptive, forcing Cecil to shut the door behind him.

"What seems to be the problem captain?" Cecil questioned as he nervously fumbled with his hands.

I shot him a distasteful glare and snarled;

"What is the meaning of this?"

I held up the near empty vial as Cecil examined it closely.

"Well, it seems that—"

"For the love of God shut up!" I hissed.

"How can you expect me to—"

It was then that I was interrupted by the shouts and screams from the captive boy outside.

"Is there any way they could shut him up?!" I groused, stomping over to the potion cabinet.

I searched through the bottles in the hope to find something else that would work.

Cecil began;

"There's nothing quite as effective as whatcha got there in yer hand, Cap'n."

My blood boiled at his stupidity.

"I need more you twit!" I shouted, throwing the bottle at him.

He caught it in his hands and examined it as I spoke.

"I need enough to put all of those boys under my influence!"

Cecil stuttered at first but began;

"But sir, it takes time to make something as intricate as this. I would need more ingredients from the island—"

"Then we will get them. But there's no time to spare. I need this done tonight! And I need enough to capture them all during the ambush" I ordered.

Cecil complied;

"In three weeks I should be able to have them all under your control—"

"I don't have three weeks you fool!" I screamed.

I pulled my flask from underneath my jacket and took a swig of whiskey.

"What ingredients do you need?" I interrogated.

Cecil thought for a moment before reaching for quill and parchment paper on my desk. He began to write a detailed list of all of the needed ingredients. Finishing it off he dropped the quill on my desk and handed me the parchment. As I glanced over it I nodded my head.

"Now what about the boy? How am I supposed to contain him?" I questioned harshly.

Cecil glanced down at the bottle in his hand. He outstretched his hand and gave me the vial as I watched him skeptically.

"There should be enough left in the vial to take care of the boy aboard. But after that, I'm gonna need to whip up some more."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. I made my way up the stairs where the shouts of the boy grew even louder. Before opening the door I turned to Cecil.

"When you take the boy back to land gather your ingredients. I want a new bottle of that elixir tonight."

As I turned back to the door Cecil interrupted me once more.

"Captain?" He questioned.

I grimaced;

"Yes?"

Cecil cleared his throat and spoke;

"What about the girl?"

The girl…

I paused for a moment and smirked;

"Oh, …she'll make the perfect servant aboard the ship…"

I turned back to the door and opened it, allowing myself to see the commotion before me. The boy squirmed and shouted as a few crew members held him down. He had been bound by rope to the main mast of the ship but stilled offered up a fight. A rag had been placed in his mouth to keep him from screaming loud enough to be heard on land. As I approached the boy his shouts began to grow even louder. Taking the vial with just a dash of elixir dust within it, I uncapped it and dumped its contents into the palm of my hand. The boy watched as I did so and struggled even more.

I spoke aloud;

"Don't worry, you won't remember a thing…"

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

I stared intently into Julian's bright eyes.

"Focus on me" he instructed. Our swords crossed each other, our faces inches apart.

"I am focused" I responded sarcastically, at this point just getting annoyed.

"No you're not, if you were focused, you wouldn't be giving me sass" Julian commented.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed;

"I just have a wonderful personality."

I straightened my back, trying to improve my posture.

Julian smirked;

"Not the point. See with you sassing me, I could've already taken you down by now."

Within seconds I found myself on the ground. Julian had tripped my foot with his sword.

I cursed;

"What the hell? That's just child's play!"

Julian raised a brow and held his hand out to help me up.

"Do you want to play fair or do you want to win?" he questioned.

Groaning, I reluctantly grabbed Julian's hand and stood up.

"Just try to block me" Julian suggested.

He took a few swings at me until his blade started to get too close for comfort. Instinctively I held the blade of my sword in front of me, which in hand blocked his sword.

"Nice one!" Julian laughed.

"See? Now do it again" he continued.

He kept throwing swings at me until I blocked another.

"You're catching on!" he exclaimed.

I chuckled with a small smile;

"See. I'm not that bad."

He shook his head and laughed.

"No, you're definitely still bad" Julian joked.

I scowled before swinging my sword at him without warning. He swerved out of the way and cocked a brow.

"Hmm…so insulting you helps you make progress…I'll make sure to take note of that…" Julian smirked.

I rolled my eyes;

"Haha, very funny."

Julian began;

"With that attitude, it wouldn't take long for you to actually become a decent fighter."

I raised a brow and questioned;

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

Julian shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, I thought you wouldn't be willing to put in the work. But I guess you're just full of surprises" Julian grinned.

For once I let a natural smile creep onto my face.

"Thanks…"

For some reason, it felt so strange to smile. It was like I had faked smiles all my life, but the boys here in Neverland made me feel more comfortable and free.

"Okay come on, back to work" Julian insisted.

From then he continued to work with me on my form and various other techniques with sword dueling. The longer we worked the more prepared I felt with kicking Pan's ass when given the chance. I don't know how, but I'm going to survive here. And once I'm strong enough, I'm going to find my own way home. Screw Peter Pan. I don't need him. I'm independent and will stop at nothing to prove him wrong.

—

A.N:

New chapter! Yay! Sorry for the long wait, but I'm finally out of school so I'll have a lot more time to write. Hooray! So what do you guys think? What are Hook's plans? Where are the Lost Boys? Can Hannah actually find a way home herself? Feel free to comment your thoughts and predictions. Don't forget to comment if you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	9. Chapter 9: The Voices

Chapter 9: The Voices

 **Pan's Perspective:**

You've gone soft Pan…

How could I have possibly gotten so weak in that moment? The drowning is my favorite part!

 _"You really are a demon, aren't you?"_

The voices that brought me so much pain and suffering…They're coming back…

 _"You can't keep doing this to yourself…"_

I strolled through the damp forest as I sighed.

I obviously have let the voices back into my head again…

The voices that toy and bring out my emotions.

 _"We wouldn't have to if you'd just accept that everyone has emotions…"_

My god, do you ever shut up?

 _"You've forgotten who you really are Peter…Is this what Wendy would have wanted?"_

Shut up!

When I can I do my best to subdue my emotions in order to keep myself from having any sort of weakness. Any time I felt like my emotions began to creep up on me I would down a vial of a hand-crafted elixir. It would take away any joyful emotions or feelings I had and leave me in my most practical state. But the voices bring them back. They taunt me and make me do the opposite of what I wish. They make me feel. And that's the worst thing a pan could do. To have emotions would be a mistake…I had always found it better to just not have emotions at all…Emotions make one weak and powerless…It gives their enemy a weak spot to drive a dagger through. I pulled the small vial containing a light blue liquid out from my belt and pulled the cork from the top that was capping it. Tipping my head back I brought the vial to my lips and downed the cold liquid till the vial was empty. As I swallowed I felt like something was pushing against my chest. My eyelids began to struggle to stay open. My breathing began to get heavy as the potion did its magic. Slowly the voices began to fade…and I started to feel more like myself again.

Ah…

Much better…

I opened my eyes and felt my heart become even heavier and colder. My mind was finally brought back to its senses.

Now…

I exhaled a heavy breath.

The girl…

How do I get rid of the girl?

Drowning was obviously a bust. I can't kill her…and I can't let her leave. My options are quite limited…

I can't possibly let her weasel her way into associating herself with the Lost Boys. After all, girls always make things complicated. They mess with your head like no other. I walked slowly along the trail towards shore where I was met with the bright blue waters of Neverland. Everywhere I go, I always see…her…In the ocean, I always see her eyes. In the sun I always see her hair. In the wind I can just faintly hear the sound of her voice, singing the songs she would sing when I was just a young lad. She was always here. Watching and listening...

My foot sank into the sand as I took my first step towards the crashing waves. One step after another I looked out to the outskirts of Neverland. It was then that my eyes fell upon Hook's ship.

That's it!

At that moment I came to my senses.

What if I used her as bait?

It could easily be done…

I could anger her enough to make her want to join the pirates, or perhaps, I could send her out on a little adventure…

If I'm lucky enough maybe they'll even kill her for me.

Oh, Pan, it's good to be back…

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

"I think it's safe to say you've made a little bit of progress today shortcake…" Julian commented as we walked along the trail back to camp.

"What did I say about nicknames?" I snapped.

He chuckled and held his hands up in defense.

"Listen, you gotta realize that you're on an island full of teenage boys that are bound to try to make you miserable" Julian spoke.

I rolled my eyes in distaste;

"Well, you gotta realize that I don't put up with that kind of stuff. You have no idea how many fights I've gotten into at school" I gloated.

"And how many did you win?" Julian questioned.

I began to count on my fingers to myself before answering;

"Seven and a half."

With a perplexed expression, Julian eyed me.

"'And a half'?"

I chuckled to myself;

"Well, I mean technically I would have won, but when you're in a fight with your four hundred pound gym teacher nobody really wins in that situation…"

Julian just looked at me in confusion.

"I'm not going to even ask…" he dismissed.

I continued;

"Long story short, I'm not exactly the easiest to work with…"

Julian rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Yeah, you've got that right" he laughed.

I sent him a glare and shoved his shoulder.

"Woah there, didn't your mother ever teach you some manners? To be lady-like?" Julian chuckled.

I remained somewhat distant and quiet. He looked at me then back at the ground.

"Or are we not talking about mothers yet?" he spoke with care.

I shrugged my shoulders and sighed.

"Eh…I just don't really talk about her much…"

I continued to watch the ground until I looked up at him.

"Are mothers a forbidden topic here?"

Julian shrugged his shoulders and released a light sigh.

"Not forbidden…just somewhat forgotten. It's commonly thought that your past life doesn't carry over in Neverland. Whoever you were before…it doesn't matter. It's who you are now that makes the difference."

I nodded my head in agreement. I never knew such sensible knowledge could come out of a delinquent's mouth.

"What about yours?" I asked.

Julian smiled and glanced at the ground.

" _My_ mother?" he questioned.

I looked up from the ground into the trees.

"Well, from what I remember, my mother was the sweetest person I knew…"

He continued on;

"She was always kind, thoughtful, and put others before herself. My father was the same as well…"

I listened intently to him speak.

"But you see, my family didn't have much…My father was a miner and my mother stayed home because she wasn't allowed to work. He wasn't paid nearly enough to be able to take care of my family, so whenever he was on the job, he'd steal some of the gold or diamond he'd mined and pawned it so he could afford to feed us."

Julian looked me in the eyes.

"But one day my father was caught and he was sentenced to death. So from then on, it was just my mother, my older brother, and I. "

I found it hard to gather the words to speak.

"I'm…so sorry…" was all I could muster up.

He grinned slightly;

"They were good people…My father didn't do it for himself…he did it for my brother and I. That's what made him a good man."

Shifting gears I asked a counter question.

"Julian, how long have you been here?" I asked, my tone trailing in wonder.

He chuckled;

"I honestly have no idea. But I guess you could say that's the fun part."

I spoke;

"But don't you ever wonder if maybe you could go back to your family and see them again?"

It seemed as though Julian thought I was joking. That was until he saw my serious expression.

"Listen, let's just say even if I went back, they would be long gone by now—"

"Well, you don't know that for a fact. Do you even know what year it is?" I interrupted.

He raised a brow.

"Hannah, I highly doubt there's anyone still alive from the eighteenth century" Julian laughed.

I stopped in my tracks.

"Did you say…eighteenth…century?"

"Yes, ma'am" he chuckled.

What in the hell?!

"Are you seriously telling me you've been alive for hundreds of years?!" I exclaimed.

Julian responded nonchalantly;

"Nope. Because I technically don't know…"

Out of strange impulse, I instantly grabbed Julian's cheeks and stretched them as far as I could.

"Um…ow…" he mumbled.

It was the strangest thing I had ever seen…He didn't have a single wrinkle…So what, now obnoxious teenagers have discovered the secret to eternal youth?!

"What the hell is this…" I spoke aloud.

I continued;

"You don't look a day older than seventeen!"

He mumbled;

"That's what Neverland does to you. It doesn't even feel like I've been here that long. Maybe ten years or so…I don't know, I just try not thinking too hard about it."

I let go of his cheeks and stepped back.

"I still don't understand any of this…"

"You will eventually" Julian chuckled once more while rubbing his sore cheek with his hand.

Suddenly deep within the trees came a loud rustling sound. A few feet from us were two boys revealing themselves from within the forest. Turning my head towards them I quickly came to realize that these boys were identical twins.

"Julian, we need you. It's serious" the one spoke desperately.

Julian turned to them;

"What's going on?" he questioned.

The boy speaking cleared his throat.

"We found Felix."

Julian's eyes widened as he quickly turned to me.

"Okay Hannah, I need you to go back to camp right now."

I quickly grew anxious.

"Wait, what's going on? What happened to Felix?" I interrogated.

What weren't they telling me?

"There are just some things I can't explain right now…" he said.

I countered;

"But I don't want to—"

"Now!" Julian demanded.

Leaving my side Julian began to run off into the opposite direction.

"But what if I get lost?! I want to help!" I yelled after him.

Moments later the twins joined Julian in a sprint.

"Walk along the path! It will lead you back!" Julian called out.

I scoffed and shook my head as all of the boys disappeared into the trees.

"Men…" I spoke aloud with displeasure.

Looking about myself the only option I had was to follow the path back to camp. Did I want to go back to camp? Not really. Did I have a choice?

Not really.

I exhaled a heavy sigh and figured that I may as well start heading back. This whole forest looks exactly the same…Without the path, I'd probably be screwed…

The forest itself was quiet and slightly eerie. Despite its beauty, the near silence within the trees made the atmosphere feel strange and chilling. It was different than any other forest I had been in. To be fair it appears to be more similar to a jungle. In some parts, there were thick green vines and leaves and in other parts, it was bare with only a few ash trees. I wandered the path for a while, taking my time and enjoying being alone. In this part of the forest, the trees had released their leaves, allowing them to rot in piles on the ground. Strolling along the path my eyes were left to watch the grass as I crushed the leaves beneath my feet. The dry, dead leaves surprisingly blended in nicely with the thick, green moss growing on the ground. My mind continued to wander until a bright reflection blinded my peripheral vision wherein the fallen leaves appeared to be some sort of abandoned object. Instantly it peaked my interest. I shuffled around the dead leaves with my foot, which in turn revealed a shiny, metallic blade. Crouching down I took my hand and sifted through the crunchy brown leaves to find that this object was actually a dagger. I began to pick it up from the ground when I noticed that the handle of the dagger was covered in blood. I flinched and dropped the dagger, afraid that it had just been used to kill something…or maybe even someone. But as I examined it closer I realized that the blood had actually been dry. I found this peculiar, not only because it was dried blood, but the fact that most of the blood congregated around the handle rather than the blade. In fact, I could see the blade's entire design. The silver steel blade was engraved with a pattern of swirls and lines that created an intricate design. It was…interesting…to say the least. I carefully picked up the dagger and held it in the light. The blade appeared as if it could have been fashioned yesterday. There were no scratches or rust, or any sign of wear really. It was perplexing that it seemed like a tool or weapon that would have been in style in the medieval times. When I turned the dagger on its side I was intrigued by a particular marking on its rich mahogany handle. It appeared to be initials. Scratching away bits of dry blood with my nail from the handle I read the initials aloud in question.

"L.R."

Who's L.R.?

However, I figured that the dagger must have belonged to one of the other Lost Boys. Standing up from my crouch I stuck the dagger in my belt loop and continued on. It wasn't long before I was met with the entrance to the camp.

 **Julian's Perspective:**

"Where'd you guys find him?" I questioned as I followed Rhett and Brett.

"A scouting group found him by the waterfall. He seems pretty freaked out" Rhett responded.

I looked at them skeptically but shrugged off my idiotic thought. As we continued to run it wasn't long before I could hear the crashing water from the waterfall. It meant that we were close, and within just a few seconds we would be met with the large, open space surrounded by rocks and trees. Looking ahead of me I saw sitting on a large boulder was Felix with many bruises and cuts.

"Dude, what happened to you?" I questioned in fear as I stood before him out of breath.

Felix coughed up a few droplets of water before choking on his words.

"It's them—"

His speech was interrupted by his constant coughing.

"Them who?" I asked perplexed.

"The missing Lost Boys…"

My eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned nervously.

Felix cleared his throat;

"I was up top of the waterfall when I ran into Charlie. He looked completely normal until I saw his eyes…"

Shivers crept up my spine as he spoke.

"But it was Charlie…" he said sorrowfully.

"It was as if he was just…empty…He wasn't even there…He attacked me and my only way of escape was the waterfall…" he finished quietly.

My heart sank deep into my chest as I shook my head.

"Might you have any idea where he headed off to?" I tried.

Felix calmly shook his head;

"He just came out of nowhere. After I had jumped I looked up at the waterfall and he disappeared. He was gone…"

I sighed and cleared my throat. Turning to the other boys present I spoke;

"Get him dried off and back to camp. I'm gonna scope out the area to see if I can find anything…"

Brett asked;

"Do you want someone with you? Just to be safe? We can't bear to lose you, Julian…"

I glanced toward the ground.

"No" I spoke.

"It's better I go alone…" I spoke solemnly as my eyes fell further toward the ground.

The surrounding boys nodded and grabbed onto Felix to help him up. Slowly they headed back towards camp while I stayed behind.

Something just isn't right.

If Felix really saw Charlie, and if Hannah saw Slightly, then the missing Lost Boys must be alive…but how?

How have they just vanished?

I sat down on a nearby rock and looked to the waterfall as I thought.

And why would Slightly chase after Hannah? I mean, I guess if he just didn't know that she wasn't a threat then maybe…but still…

Why would Charlie attack Felix?

They've been friends since the day Charlie stepped foot in Neverland. What could possibly make him want to hurt Felix?

Unless…he didn't have a choice…

 _"He looked completely normal until I saw his eyes…"_

 _"It was as if he was just…empty…He wasn't even there…"_

Felix's words repeated themselves in my head.

Suddenly my mind flashed back to a memory in Hook's ship.

 _"Jake immediately rushed over and looked at Sam whose blue eyes were dilated and held a blank expression."_

 _"Sam are you alright?" Jake asked, but he didn't give a response. He stood there silently staring back at us."_

 _Jake waved his hand in front of Sam's face and he didn't even flinch. He looked to me with a concerned expression._

 _He took the bottle from my hand and looked it over. On the bottom was a small label that was faded and barely readable._

 _"Suggestion Elixir" he read aloud._

 _We looked up for a moment at Sam's dilated eyes._

 _He spoke;_

 _"It means he's susceptible to our suggestions."_

 _"And who knows when it will wear off."_

My heart rate began to increase as I took deeper, quicker breaths.

I know what Hook's doing to them…

I don't know where he's keeping them, but they must be under his influence.

I stood up from the rock and took off toward the top of the waterfall to try to get a better view of the island. I sprinted until I was met with the top of the waterfall where I could get a view of Hook's ship far in the sea. In the distance, I heard the snap of a twig, but I ignored it when I noticed that the ship was closer to shore than usual. Either they're planning to board the island…

Or they already have…

"Looks like we've found another one for the captain, boys."

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

So I don't necessarily have the best sense of direction…But I wouldn't say that I'm lost.

Okay, I'm lost.

I have no idea where the hell I am because all of these damn trees look the same!

And it doesn't do you any good when you step off the trail to chase after that random sound you heard in the distance.

My god, I'm a complete dumbass…

I looked around me only to see trees and vines of green. I sighed to myself as I felt the dagger I had tucked into the back of my jeans. As I reached behind me to pull it out I heard a snap of a twig close by. I held my breath and looked around me once more.

Lord, please don't make me have to fend off a bear or something…

I took a step closer until I heard another twig snap, and then another.

My heart rate raced until suddenly my eyes were met with the most horrifying thing imaginable.

It was Pan.

"What's got you all worked up young lady? Shouldn't you be back at camp making friendship bracelets or something?" he snarled as his eyes met mine.

Lord…

I would have preferred the bear.

"Well, I already weaved a noose out of string for myself but I figured that training would probably be a little more beneficial and entertaining" I responded back coldly.

Pan raised a brow.

"Oh I see, someone's trying to be cute. But let's just remember who exactly pulled you out of that lagoon and saved your life" he remarked bitterly.

As he walked past me he roughly bumped into my shoulder.

"Well, why are you out here then?" I questioned.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around only to glare at me.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite nosey?" He asked not so innocently.

I responded in a light tone;

"Many. Now go on. Fill me in on the gossip."

"The only gossip here is that you don't deserve to be alive" he shot back distastefully, his eyes growing darker.

What a charmer…

I fake hissed in pain;

"Ooh, ouch. That really stung me mate. I thought Australians were supposed to be nice…"

As he heard my comment he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not Australian you little—"

He paused as he noticed the grin plastered across my face.

Finally, something that I can use to get under his skin.

I snickered;

"British. Australian. What's the difference mate?"

Pan rolled his eyes as he wasn't humored by my mockery.

"Don't call me mate" he muttered.

I cocked a brow in pleasure and victory. I interrupted Pan as he began to turn away from me.

"But we all know that you kept me around for a reason. So do tell" I spoke confidently.

He stopped and turned his head toward me with narrowed, dark eyes.

"You're really just asking to be thrown off a cliff, aren't you?" he said in an annoyed tone.

I grinned with a sarcastic chuckle;

"Well, when you say it like that then the whole drowning thing sounds a lot more original."

Pan eyed me as a small smirk crept upon his face.

"You have my sense of humor, I'll give you that."

He turned back and started in the opposite direction of me.

Was that…a compliment?

Shortly after I began to follow in his footsteps.

A few moments passed before I was startled.

"What? Are you my shadow now?" he scorned without turning around.

Rolling my eyes I scoffed;

"Give me a break, this whole island looks the same. It would be nice to just be able to get back to camp."

Pan quickly snapped as he began to speed up his pace;

"How do you know I won't lead you astray? I could lead you into a pit of crocodiles for all you know."

How stupid does he think I am?

I noticed him begin to walk even faster, presumably to get away from me.

"Haven't you ever heard of the element of surprise?" I questioned.

He stopped suddenly and turned to me with a vicious expression proliferating across his face.

"You seemed pretty surprised when I pushed you into that lagoon" he snarled as his dark eyes glared at me.

My lips were left dry and open as I couldn't gather words to shoot back even a snarky remark. My mind was blank.

"And I was damn near close to leaving you in there to rot" he exclaimed fiercely.

My mouth began to speak before my mind could tell me to shut up.

"But why didn't you?" I blurted loud enough for blue jays to hear me from the opposite side of the island.

Pan's eyes were narrowed, rigid, and harsh. His aura reflected a bitter, freezing sort of coldness, similar to a sheet of ice that consumes the roads and highways of winter climates. It made me wonder if anyone had ever attempted to thaw the thick sheet of ice that consumed him, keeping him from ever experiencing any real warmth from anybody. He took a step toward me, leaving our faces only inches apart.

He gritted his teeth;

"Because like it or not I'm the boss. I do whatever I damn please. If I wish to keep you around to do my bidding then that is what will transpire. If I wish to keep you around to be a maid then that is what will transpire. If I wish to keep you around so that I can feed you to a pack of hungry wolves—"

His dark green eyes sharpened.

"Then that is what will transpire."

For the first time, I felt slightly intimidated by Pan. Being that it only took one smart ass comment to set him off, I don't know how long I'll last here.

He turned away from me as he exhaled a harsh breath. I allowed him to walk a good distance ahead of me before I carefully and subtly followed behind him. I had never seen such a moody teenage boy in my life. He's so arrogant that it makes me question his upbringing. Like, how did his parents manage to raise him to be such a little snot? I knew that Peter Pan was portrayed as being sort of cynical and conniving, but the books never included the fact that though he may be a child, he acts like a complete teenage girl. After some walking, I was no longer able to see where Pan was, but I recognized the surrounding area and knew I was close to camp. It wasn't until I heard the clashing of two swords that I experienced music to my ears. Intrigued, I jogged toward the entrance of camp when I glanced up at the two towers that held the boys that were supposedly supposed to be guarding the gate. But to my chagrin, they weren't paying any attention towards me. They were turned in the opposite direction as they intently watched something going on inside the camp. Their eyes were still and unmoving. Assuming it was okay to enter I walked through the gate and was shocked to see a large group of Lost Boys huddled up around something. Many of them were shouting and had their eyes glued to whatever they were surveying. Engaged by the excitement emitted from the boys I jogged over towards the large huddle of boys in hopes to see what they were watching. Being as some of these boys were ridiculously tall I sort of had to push and shove my way through the crowd to get to the front. When I reached the front I was astounded to see two Lost Boys, one of a large build and one of a small build, dueling each other. But not only were they dueling each other, they were really into it. They were jumping, rolling, and attacking with such swiftness and ease. It was incredibly entertaining to watch, and I could definitely see why the boys found this amusing. Suddenly the boy with the smaller build outwitted the boy with a larger build and knocked him to the ground. As the boy on the ground admitted defeat all of the boys around them began to hoot and holler. They cheered and celebrated for the victor as he was greatly praised. A boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes stepped out from the crowd and help up the victor's hand.

"And the reigning victor of the tournament is…Trent!" He announced aloud to the boys.

They all continued to shout in excitement.

From that moment I was motivated and driven. If there's one hell of a way I could earn some respect here—

It would be to win one of those tournaments.

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Long time no see! I'm sorry for not being able to update as quickly as I had hoped. I've been having to deal with some health things so it's been kinda hard to write, but alas I was able to finish another chapter after staying up late! Anyway, what do y'all think? What's going on with Pan? Do you guys think that Hannah would ever be able to win a tournament? Let me know your thoughts and predictions in the comments because I always enjoy reading them! See you in the next update!

-Agm3


	10. Chapter 10: A Different Ending

Chapter 10: A Different Ending

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

I watched as all of the boys dispersed from the crowd. It became my mission to seek out Julian and find out if he thinks there's anyone here I could beat in a duel. But as I searched and scanned through the large group of boys I failed to find him. However, I did recognize one of the twins that ran off with him earlier leaning against a large ash tree near the fire. His eyes were a dark chocolate brown while his hair was a fiery red color. Determined, I started toward the boy and met face to face with them. He stood up from the tree as I began;

"Hey, where's Julian? I need to talk to him."

The boy stood tall with a blank expression and shrugged his shoulders.

"Couldn't tell ya—" he replied.

"He didn't come back with us" he added.

I scrunched my face in confusion.

"You mean he stayed behind?" I questioned curiously.

The boy raised a brow and looked off to something in the distance. His gaze fell back to me as he spoke.

"Sorta. He wanted to do some investigating in the area before coming back."

Investigating?

"Investigating what?" I inquired.

Before I could say another word the boy chuckled and started;

"Listen, it'd be better if you just left everything up to the boys. Neverland is dangerous, and we wouldn't want you getting lost now would we?"

He held a cheeky grin as he took his pointer finger and lifted my chin. Looking at him with a revolting expression I stepped back and scoffed.

"Like it or not I'm still one of you. Whether or not I'm 'one of the boys' I could still kick your ass" I hissed.

The boy's eyes widened as he grinned.

"Woah, we've got us a feisty one!" he snickered.

He cracked his neck and looked at me;

"Tell ya what—"

He took a step forward and made direct eye contact, allowing me to look into his chocolate brown eyes that appeared to have specks of red and yellow flakes splattered throughout it. I watched as he glanced over toward the area where the duel just took place before his line of sight fell back towards me.

"Beat me in a duel tomorrow…and I'll answer all of your questions about Neverland and the people who inhabit it…"

I scoffed;

"You're kidding me."

I began to turn away from him but the boy stopped me.

"Listen, I know how much they're trying to protect you from knowing everything, but because I'm so nice, I'll just fill you in" he insisted.

What in the hell is he talking about?

I exclaimed;

"Who's trying to protect me? Protect me from what?"

He rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw;

"That's beside the point—"

"No, it's not!" I spoke harshly, taking a step towards him.

The boy just laughed and stepped back.

"Easy girl. You wouldn't want to draw any attention to yourself…"

I glared at him and shook my head, trying to decide whose side he was really on;

"Why the hell should I trust you?"

Cocking a brow the boy smiled.

"Because I'm a guy of my word. Plus there's not really much of a point since there's no way you can take me on" he challenged with a grin.

I growled fiercely and snapped;

"I can and I will…"

My comment seemed to only amuse the boy. His arrogance seemed to fluster me more, and he knew it.

"Do I need to ask which flaming redhead you are?" I questioned as I looked over to his twin brother talking to some other Lost Boys in the distance.

The cocky boy chuckled;

"I'm the faster, cooler, way better looking one."

I shot another glare at him. For God's sake, you're about as identical as identical twins come, you moron. He stuck out his hand.

"The name's Brett" he greeted fakely.

Reluctantly I stuck out my hand and shook it lightly.

"It's been a displeasure meeting you Baguette…I mean Brett."

He rolled his eyes playfully.

"Well aren't you just cheeky…" he commented.

Brett exhaled a heavy sigh;

"Alright then. I'll pummel Trent tomorrow, then it'll be up to me and you."

He neared closer to me.

"And when I win, you'll be forever known as the girl who just couldn't keep up with the Lost Boys."

What a load of crap…

His eyes narrowed at me, allowing me to see the cockiness within them.

I countered back;

"And when I win—"

I took a step closer to him.

"You'll forever be known as the guy that got beaten up by a Lost Girl."

I noticed a flicker in his eyes that held a sudden realization. This made me smile. That was until he grinned.

"See you around, Lost Girl…"

He nonchalantly strolled away from me, acting as though he was a big hotshot.

What a loser.

Back home guys like that ran the show. And for some reason, the girls would be all over them. The lack of girls here probably makes the guys go absolutely nuts. Well, being that Brett was of no help in finding Julian, and now that I have a duel on my hands for tomorrow—

Wait…

Oh my god.

What have I done?!

I can't duel! I've only just started to learn! God knows how long that flaming redhead has been around; dueling and putting other Lost Boys in chokeholds. I quickly became filled with anxiety and didn't know what to do.

Where the hell is Julian?!

Rubbing my temples I released a heavy sigh. Anxiety filled my entire being. My thoughts trailed off when across the camp my eyes caught a glimpse of Sam's messy brown hair.

Maybe he could help me find Julian…

As he walked towards the area of huts I jogged to catch up to him. In his hands, he held a fairly large bouquet of handpicked flowers. When I got a closer look I realized that they were dahlias. The inside of the petals reflected a bold red color while the spiky tips were a bright white.

"Hey, Sam" I called, making him turn his head toward me.

His hazel eyes met my dark blue ones as he greeted me happily.

"Oh, hey…You seem like you're accustoming well to Neverland life…" he commented.

I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders;

"Eh, you could say that I guess…Listen, I need a favor…"

At this point, we had stopped in front of his hut as he responded with a raised brow.

"What kind of favor?" he questioned suspiciously.

Like it makes any difference?

Clearing my throat I started;

"I need help finding Julian. Have you seen him?"

He stared back at me skeptically.

"I thought he was with you…" he replied with wonder.

Thinking aloud I contemplated;

"I mean, he was for a bit, but he ran off somewhere with the twins. They were going on about something seemingly serious."

Sam appeared to be at a loss.

"Hmm…Well, what do ya need from him? Anything I can help with?" he kindly offered.

I shrugged my shoulders and sighed.

"I royally screwed myself."

Sam's expression remained confused and concerned.

"Umm…?"

"Ugh…Never mind…I'll tell you about it later…" I spoke in a frazzled tone, bringing the palm of my hand up to my forehead.

He shrugged his shoulders and dismissed my question. His gaze momentarily fell toward the flowers he was holding in his hand.

"Who are those for?" I asked curiously.

Who knows…Maybe he's got a date with Pan…

I internally chuckled and shook my head at my lazy attempt of humor.

Sam looked up from the flowers and kept eye contact with me. But breaking eye contact once more his gaze fell back to the flowers.

"Just a special someone…" he spoke quietly as his expression remained overall melancholy.

Well, that's…interesting…

"Lost Boys are weird…" I mumbled aloud to myself as I turned away from him.

Like a miracle from God Julian appeared from the forest as he walked into camp.

"Found him" Sam voiced cheekily.

I groaned to myself and rolled my eyes.

Thank you Captain Obvious…

I immediately ran over towards him. He saw me approaching him and held a concerned look on his face.

"Thanks a lot for abandoning me out there dude. Really nice. Where have you been?" I interrogated. The anxiety continued to worsen within me every moment that passed.

Julian replied in a calm tone;

"Oh, I was just helping out the twins with something they saw in the forest. But everything's fine. I just got distracted on the way back. What have you been—"

"I'm dueling Brett tomorrow" I cut him off, speaking frustratedly.

Julian's bright eyes widened.

"You **what**?" he cross-questioned.

My stomach flipped several times as I tried to explain;

"Brett was being an asshole and I just got all tough with him. Now I'm going into a fight I know I'll lose and I don't know what to do!"

It was now that I was practically pacing. I screwed up big time.

Julian sighed;

"Listen, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just don't go—"

"I can't just not show up!" I cut him off once more.

"Then they'll just call me a coward…" I sighed.

Julian chuckled and shook his head;

"You really did yourself in, Rookie."

How could he be joking at a time like this?!

"You don't understand how big of a deal this is! He'll humiliate me!" I stressed as I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands. I exhaled several heavy breaths when Julian began.

"Hannah, you are way over-thinking this. Just do what I've been teaching you. Go in and give it your all. You may even surprise yourself you know…"

As I stood and listened to Julian's words I knew he was right. I wouldn't be able to become a skilled swordsman overnight, and I sure as hell wouldn't be able to quit.

"God damn it, why do you always have to be right?" I complained, giving him a less than desirable glare.

He smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Listen, I'd love to continue being your therapist but I have something I gotta go take care of. How about you go around and start making some friends?" He said childishly.

I rolled my eyes and shot him a death glare. I watched as he headed off in the opposite direction of me.

It looks like I've got my work cut out for me…

 **Jake's Perspective:**

I'm not sure how many times I've woken up in my bed to the shouts of my father, for I lost count after thirteen. Had I been here for days? Weeks? Months? After I woke up I followed through my day as it was already planned out for me. Weed and plant the crops, shuck the corn, fertilize the crops, feed the animals, re-fix the fence I had fixed yesterday, and so on. All remained in an endless loop…

Boy, I did not miss being a farm boy.

As the long hours passed it was evening once more. The sun had set and the air was cool and damp. As I approached the house I stopped for a moment and paused. What would I say to my father this time? Surely I didn't want another three hundred degree burn to the arm again, but what was there to say? Though saying how I felt did wonders for my thoughts, it didn't do wonders for the vase I shattered on the floor. Standing in front of the door to my back porch I grabbed the handle and proceeded inside. Once again I didn't flinch when I heard glass shattering only inches away from the right side of my face. Calmly, I flipped the light switch as I saw my father sitting in the kitchen directly across from me on the same stool as usual. Kicking aside the shards of glass on the floor I stepped towards him. As I looked at him the only thing I could feel was a sickness in the pit of my stomach.

"What turned you into this?" I questioned boldly.

Drunk as a sailor my father stared at me coldly.

"What in the hell are you goin' on about now?" he asked harshly as he tossed another empty bottle on the floor.

I stood my ground and narrowed my eyes at him.

"You heard me. What caused you to decide to live like this?" I asked with pain dripping from my voice.

Not surprisingly my father rolled his eyes and dismissed me.

"If you wanna act like a smart-ass then go do it somewhere else" he replied angrily.

His actions and words led me to be repulsed. His gray eyes were emotionless and dry. They became that way after my mother passed.

"Alright. Then let's talk; man-to-man. Why don't I get letters from Jared or Max anymore?" I confronted him.

Cracking open another bottle of beer from the kitchen table he sighed.

"Who?" he played dumb.

I scoffed;

"My brothers. Your sons."

He sighed and replied;

"I don't know, cause they got bored of ya?"

I breathed heavily and rolled my eyes.

"Don't play dumb with me. You've been hiding their letters from me for years. I found one under the stove from Max. They tried to get you help but you refused—"

"That's none of your damn business…" my father growled.

"They were addressed to me! That letter was dated two years ago!" I exclaimed, feeling my blood boil in my veins.

He hissed as he gripped the beer bottle in his hand tightly;

"My house; my rules."

Rolling my eyes I couldn't take any more of this. I stormed past him and headed straight for my bedroom. Slamming the door my head began to pound.

It's always the same…

Tiptoeing toward my bed I face planted onto the cold, scratchy blankets.

Please…Let me fall asleep and dream this time…

What Gail hadn't told me when I arrived was that you could only communicate through dreams…

Not nightmares…

Every night held a different nightmare from my childhood. I hadn't dreamed a single time since my first night here. Each and every day I was here I became more and more hopeless. It felt like I was in purgatory. What was I doing wrong? What could I possibly have done that—

My internal rant had been interrupted when I heard a peculiar sound coming from the kitchen. If I had a guess, it would be my father was opening another bottle of whiskey from the cabinet. Oddly enough, I felt compelled to confront him in the act, just so I could have a peace of mind for a few moments…I stood up quickly from my bed and opened my bedroom door. Reaching the end of the hallway I peaked into the kitchen at the cabinet to find nobody there. And even stranger, my father wasn't slouching on his stool. He was gone. I could hear the slight clinking of bottles in the fridge. As I turned the corner of the hallway I was ready to rip my father apart when a surprising sight sent me into shock. The person rooting around in my fridge wasn't my father, but Gail.

He turned around with a biscuit in his mouth, a bowl of mashed potatoes in one hand, and a can of whipped cream in the other.

"Gail? What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?"

After I spoke those words I came to the sudden realization.

Oh my god!

I was dreaming!

He swallowed the biscuit in his mouth and grinned with his pearly white smile.

"Sorry, I haven't eaten in years" he laughed.

A smile was permanently plastered across my face. I get to have a day without having a nightmare…

Dreams were so rare here that I considered them to be treasures.

Gail set down the piles of food on the kitchen table and sat down in a chair.

"So you decided to raid my refrigerator because…?" I asked openly.

Gail tipped his head back as he dispensed globs of whipped cream into his mouth.

"Because I don't remember the last time I tasted whipped cream, A.K.A, the food of the gods."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed;

"You haven't changed a bit."

His dirty blonde hair and shining green eyes were the same as they were when he lived in Neverland. In less than thirty seconds he devoured the entire bowl of mashed potatoes he stole from my fridge and burped loudly.

"Where're your manners?" I plugged my nose as the horrid stench filled my kitchen.

He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

"And why am I dreaming in my kitchen?" I asked confused.

The next time I blinked my eyes there were large trees surrounding us for miles.

"Better?" Gail questioned as he appeared from behind me.

I don't know how he did that...

But not gonna bother asking...

Exhaling a heavy sigh I was still haunted by the fact that this dream wouldn't last forever. These moments of being carefree and full of joy would shortly expire. Gail noticed my sad expression and questioned it.

"How are you holding up?" he asked sincerely.

In reality, all I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs. Not at Gail, but at this world that I was trapped in. I felt like my true self was being ripped apart. I felt…empty…

"You have no idea what I've been through…" I sighed as I shook my head.

I sat down on a large boulder and ran my fingers through my dirty, unkempt hair. Gail followed and sat next to me.

"Trust me. You're preaching to the choir " he spoke with a light chuckle.

I sighed heavily once again. It amazes me that Gail could still have a sense of humor after years of living…here…He patted me on the back;

"Oh, c'mon lad! Cheer up! You'll get used to it eventually."

But that was just it. I didn't want to get used to it. Gail is just so positive and optimistic that it's perplexing, to say the least. There was a short moment of silence between us. Both of our gazes fell to the ground. There was still one question I haven't asked Gail since I got here. Swallowing the lump in my throat I spoke up;

"Where is your Preternal Neverland, Gail?"

His gaze was still focused on the ground until he locked eyes with me. He was momentarily quiet but answered solemnly;

"In a medical ward. The day that my mother died."

As I took in his words my heart ached. His eyes were glossy and reflected several years of pain and suffering. I spoke softly;

"Are you saying you've watched your mother…"

I trailed off mid-sentence, not wanting to upset him in any way. He nodded his head lightly.

"Yeah…"

He looked away from me, his gaze falling back to the ground. His voice was quiet as he continued;

"It gets harder every time I hold her hand as she lays there cold and weak…and she tells me that she'll be okay…Because I know well enough that she won't be…"

My previously dry eyes were now beginning to tear up. His voice became raspy.

"My mother was a fighter. To see her lose the battle thousands of times is just…" he whispered aloud as he trailed off.

He chuckled dolefully;

"Seeing her lose the battle once was enough…"

At that moment I could barely hold back my tears.

We left Gail here…

For years…

To suffer…

A few tears escaped my tear ducts and streamed down my warm cheeks. There was no way to express how sorry I was for not finding him sooner. He was left here to rot…all by himself…with nobody to talk to…

"I'm so sorry…" I managed to choke out.

I wiped the few tears from my face with my dry thumb and cleared my throat.

"We thought you were dead for so long…but you were trapped here all alone…" I said full of sorrow.

Gail shook his head;

"Don't blame yourselves, Jake. It wasn't your fault. You never would've been able to get here if you hadn't found the entrance—"

"What do you mean entrance?" I cut him off, questioning what he meant.

Gail looked to me as if I had already known.

"Well, I mean, that's how you got here. Through the portal" he responded.

The portal…? I shook my head confused.

"What are you talking about?" I asked once more.

I could tell in Gail's facial expression that he was trying to form his words.

Before he could reply I continued;

"You said there was a way out of here…but you never explained how…" I uttered, my gaze falling to my feet.

He cleared his throat before slowly shaking his head.

"There's a way for _you_ to leave…" he answered without looking at me.

"Whoever that girl was, her kiss protected you from the curse that binds us here."

I remained quiet, unsure of what to say. I didn't realize that it would all be up to me to get us out of here. And the thought of leaving Gail alone all over again sent chills up my spine.

"But what do I have to do?" I questioned desperately, finally meeting his eyes.

Swallowing a lump in his throat he silently shook his head once more.

"I don't know exactly what it is you're supposed to do. All I can figure is that we must be repeating our most miserable days for a reason."

Gail had a point. Why would the universe punish us without reason? Why would we live through this hell only to get the same outcome every time?

"So then what do you suggest I do?" I inquired.

For the first time, Gail shrugged his shoulders without a sure plan.

"See what different outcomes you can make of it. Try to find a different ending…"

I stared blankly into space;

"A different ending…Maybe we just—"

"Jake! If you don't get your ass outside and start working I'm going to make you wish you were never born!" My father shouted from the kitchen.

And just like that…

Gail was gone…

 _"Try to find a different ending…"_

A different ending…

"Jake!" My father yelled once more at the top of his lungs.

And so the cycle began once more.

 _Suffer…_

 _Recover…_

 _Repeat…_

—

A.N:

Hey guys! So this is pretty rare…Holy crap I updated within a week! I'm so happy that I was able to stay focused and get this chapter done. Y'all are so patient and I really appreciate it :) But what did you guys think? Do you think Hannah made a big mistake with taking on Brett's challenge? Does Hannah have any chance of actually beating him? And what in the heck is going on with Jake?! Leave your thoughts and predictions in the comments and let me know what you think! I hope to update soon! See you in the next update!

-Agm3


	11. Chapter 11: The Flying Boy

Chapter 11: The Flying Boy

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

That night I barely slept. I tossed and turned, constantly feeling my anxiety slowly set my stomach on fire. I had to beat that jerk even if was the last thing I ever did. I'm just sick of people, the Lost Boys in particular, underestimating me. I was no different than them. If they saw how I was back home they'd be too afraid to stand within ten feet of me. Or at least, I wish that's how they'd view me. I always hated being treated as the weak link. I guess I just prefer having a hard exterior. The fewer people that know where I come from, the better. Being as I couldn't sleep I was up early. I had left my hut quietly as to not wake anyone else up. The fire in the camp was close to dying out as the remaining smoke dispersed in the morning air. It was early enough that I didn't see any other boys roaming the camp. It was just me. Or so I thought. As I strolled through the camp I heard the sound of logs being dropped on the ground near the fire. Looking over I discovered Pan as he threw a few longs into the pit, reviving the once warm fire. His eyes locked with me as I stood where I was. His brows furrowing I could tell from twenty feet away that he was glaring at me. Breaking eye contact he shook his head and went back to throwing logs into the fire. Guess he's not a morning person…Or any sort of person with a heart for that matter. He always seems to be pissed off about something. He was mysterious in ways I couldn't explain…

The morning passed quickly as I paced around the outskirts of the camp. I tried to sit down and relax but sitting only made me more anxious. One by one other boys would wake up and gather around the fire while they ate their breakfast. I, however, sat alone outside my hut eating a stash of apples I had taken out of the basket that was set out. By now I had made a pile of apple cores that had resulted from stress eating. For a slight moment, my mind felt at ease. Maybe Brett would lose to Trent and I wouldn't have to fight at all. Maybe this will all just blow over. The likelihood of it was unlikely, but you never know…As I sat beside my hut I was greeted by none other than Julian. At first, his eyes met mine, but it wasn't long before his eyes met the pile of apples.

"Um, should I even ask?" Julian questioned as he eyed me with a raised brow.

Shaking my head I scoffed;

"Stress eating…"

Julian's expression came across as perplexed, but he shrugged his shoulders and dismissed it.

"You ready?" He asked with a small grin.

I glared up at him and spoke hastily;

"No…" I rolled my eyes and sighed. "He's gonna chop my head off" I groaned.

I leaned the back of my head against the wall of the hut and rested my eyes.

"You'll be fine, Hannah" Julian assured me. His facial expression seemed sincere, but he wasn't the one that was gonna have to fight Brett.

Ugh…He wouldn't understand…He's never been a weak teenage girl before.

"Trust me. If you don't start believing in yourself then you'll never be able to beat him" he added.

I began to curse and mock him under my breath because I knew he was right. Opening my eyes my expression softened towards him.

"Alright, fine. I believe in myself" I said lazily.

Julian momentarily eyed me as he called my bluff. I predicted that if I didn't say what he wanted to hear he would proceed to make me sit through a long ass speech about confidence.

"Okay, fine!" I caved, closing my eyes and releasing a heavy sigh.

"I'll trust myself that I can do this" I finished as I reopened my eyes and Julian gloated in his victory.

"That's our Lost Girl" he smirked.

He's lucky I'm being nice. Otherwise, I would've counted 'Lost Girl' as a nickname and slapped him silly.

"So, do you have 'things to take care of' this morning?" I inquired sarcastically.

As Julian looked about himself seemingly cautiously he replied.

"I always have things to take care of," he remarked with a smile.

"Don't go getting yourself into trouble" he told me as he began to head in the opposite direction.

I muttered to myself, unable to resist making a snarky comment;

"No promises…"

Leaning my head back against the hut I sighed. It wouldn't be long before the Lost Boys gathered around in a circle to watch Trent duel the next challenger. And soon after that, I'll either become somewhat respected…or the laughing stock of Neverland…

* * *

 _ **?'s Perspective Long Ago…**_

 _I stormed up several flights of stairs before reaching the rooftop of the building. Emotions raced through my body all at once. Throwing the door open I slammed it shut behind me without looking back. I rushed to the edge of the roof, falling on my knees as I leaned my upper body on the ledge. Weeping into my arms I cursed and held myself accountable. I inhaled and exhaled deeply before I pulled myself together. There was no point in crying. What happened couldn't be undone. Nobody can be brought back to life once they've gone. Wiping the warm tears from my face I cleared my throat and breathed in through my nose, relishing in every moment I could. Why does God take the best people away from us? Looking at the stars I watched as they twinkled and shimmered in the night sky. She had joined them up there, I was sure of it. She sparkled and danced within the gusts of wind up with the stars above. I could feel it in my bones._

" _Are you waiting for him?" a voice within the shadows called out to me._

 _As I turned around I was met with a boy no older than sixteen sitting on a large crate on the adjacent side of the roof. His hair was messy and untamed while his eyes were of a pristine, shining hazel hue._

" _Waiting for who?" I queried, sending him a puzzled expression._

 _The boy looked at the stars and gazed upon them mesmerically._

" _They say there's a boy that can take you away to a place where time stands still, where you never have to deal with grown-up things again," he told me, looking up at the sky with much hope and wonder._

 _Skeptical of the boy's story I turned my attention back to the stars._

" _Fairytales like that don't exist," I said. "They're told as folklore, or as a family heirloom to keep us hopeful" I replied with the thickness of disbelief drenching my voice._

 _Nevertheless, the boy continued on._

" _But they do" he insisted. "I've seen him."_

 _I turned my head back to the boy as he got up from his seat on the crate. As he approached the ledge he plopped himself down beside me. At first, I was sure the boy was absolutely mad, but I cross-examined him. Partially because I wanted to catch if he was lying, but also because I was genuinely curious._

" _What did he look like?" I questioned him, raising a brow and meeting his eyes._

 _A small smile creeping up on his face he spoke tenderly;_

" _He was our age" he spoke. "Maybe a tad bit older. He was dressed in forest green and looked as though he actually could have lived in one" he said._

 _The boy looked away from me and locked eyes with the stars once more._

" _This is where you're gonna think I'm crazy" he admitted._

" _Too late for that" I commented with a slight chuckle._

 _The boy raised a brow and met my eyes again._

" _This boy…could fly…" he insisted. "For miles, he soared above the city. I thought my eyes had deceived me, but it's true" he grinned._

 _Eyeing the boy I shook my head back and forth. Before I could get a word out, however, he started again._

" _Look out there" he gestured, pointing his finger in front of us._

" _Right there, do you see those stars? The two over in the distance" he asked._

 _As I looked out into the sky I was able to discern the stars he spoke so highly of._

" _Whenever I see him, he flies toward the second one on the right. But he doesn't fly there alone…" he told me._

 _I remained quiet until I couldn't bear the suspense anymore._

" _Well, who does he fly with?" I questioned, partially wondering if this boy was just feeding me false hope._

 _His face was covered by an outstretched grin._

" _Boys like us" he stated. "Boys that deserve an extra chance. Boys that are lost…"_

 _At that moment a thought deep in the back of my mind arose._

 _What if what this boy was saying…was the truth? What if there were others like me? A sudden question peaked my interest._

" _How are you like me? You don't even know me…" I trailed off as my eyes fell back to the sky._

 _Tilting his head the boy began._

" _Well for starters, what's a teenage boy doing in a medical ward if he has a perfect life?" He spoke rhetorically._

 _My eyes fell toward the cold cement of the roof. He was right._

" _Well, what about you? What led you to go astray?" I asked._

 _The boy smiled coyly._

" _My parents sent me off to a boarding school when I was twelve. Little did I know that when I returned for the holidays I would find that they had sold our house and hit the road without me" the boy informed me._

 _I met his eyes and held a constant frown on my face._

" _So, you've been on your own for years?" I asked woefully._

 _Without hesitation, the boy nodded his head._

" _Yep. In fact, this is the first conversation I've had in a while…You see, I typically just go as I please. I've been all over the state, living on the streets and such. But ever since I saw the boy who could fly, I've stayed in this city…feeling hopeful…" he expressed._

 _I remained quiet for a few moments, not really knowing how to respond. That was until an unanswered question rang in my head._

 _I asked the boy as I looked at him;_

" _How does he know you're lost?"_

 _Glancing out at the stars the boy replied._

" _By believing…"_

 _My brows furrowed as I tried to keep my mind open. Could I really trust this random boy off the street that he knew what he was talking about? Or was I just having a mental breakdown? At that moment it was hard to tell. I guess if I could consider this my mental breakdown then I'm doing better than I would've expected. It occurred to me then that I didn't even know who this mystery boy was._

" _What's your name?" I asked bluntly, making the boy turn to me._

 _With a gentle smile, he stuck out his hand._

" _Sam" he greeted._

 _Raising a brow I grabbed his hand and shook it firmly._

" _Gail" I introduced myself, nodding my head slightly._

 _After letting go of his hand I sat and gazed out into the stars once more. Could what Sam was saying actually hold any truth? Would it hurt to just have a little hope? But the problem was, I already knew the answer to that question. Having hope was dangerous. It leaves you feeling absolutely devastated when the thing you've hoped for most doesn't come true. It leaves you feeling…alone…But if Sam was indeed here, then would it matter anymore? I would no longer be alone, so would it hurt to just have a small spark of hope within me? The thoughts raced through my head all at once until suddenly, I felt it in my heart. I felt a warm feeling that instantly made me not feel so alone anymore. It made me feel like the universe was mine and that anything was possible. Though I had lost one of the things I held most dear to myself, I gained something that made me almost feel whole again…_

 _Hope…_

 _Whoever this mystery boy was that Sam saw…_

 _I believe…_

 _At that moment something odd and quite whimsical happened. The stars that Sam had pointed out seemed to be shining brighter than before. They were so bright it almost appeared as if it could blind someone._

" _What's going on?" I questioned as I pointed toward the stars._

 _But before Sam could answer a bright flash of light blinded us, causing both Sam and I to shield our eyes with our hands. My eyes unwillingly shut as the light somehow shone even brighter than before. But all of a sudden the bright light disappeared. When I opened my eyes it was as if nothing happened._

" _Did you see that?" I asked as I turned to Sam._

 _With wide eyes Sam turned to me, nodding his head. Quickly looking back over the city a figure flew above us, quickly soaring above our heads as we followed it with watch eyes. Only a few seconds later the figured dipped back out of sight._

" _You saw that too?" Was all I could utter at that moment as Sam silently nodded._

 _Springing to our feet we both raced to the other side of the roof. As we looked beyond the ledge all we saw was the dark, empty alleyway. I spoke aloud in disbelief;_

" _What the…"_

 _Sam turned around while I continued to search in the alley. Feeling a slight tug on my sleeve I turned around to find myself breathless. My mouth gaped as I saw a boy floating midair above the ledge of the building. All I could see was the outline of his figure, standing powerfully as he hovered a few feet above us. He slowly lowered himself to stand on the cement ledge with both of his hands resting on his waist. His shadow seemed to stretch across the entire building, almost as if it had a life of its own. Taking a few hesitant steps closer I was able to see him in his entirety. The boy wasn't a day older than seventeen. His mahogany hair was neat and his cheeks were a rosy pink color. He held an outstretched smile that was so pearly white it could blind whoever he chose to jubilantly greet. His facial features were soft and subtle except for his very pronounced jawline. But what was most striking was his eyes. I had never seen anyone with such fluorescent green eyes before. Sam spoke as he gazed upon the flying boy._

" _Are you t-the…" he stuttered before trailing off._

 _The boy laughed charmingly;_

" _The flying boy?"_

 _He paused for a moment as he held a small smile. Without warning, he threw himself back off the ledge into the street. My heart raced until a few moments later the boy reappeared from behind us._

" _Why, yes, I am" He spoke, nearly startling us._

 _Both Sam and I stood in amazement._

" _I've seen you before," Sam began. "You've flown other boys from the city toward those stars" he gestured as he pointed to the stars he was referring to._

 _The boy laughed as he revealed another pearly white smile._

" _Why, yes I have. Do you know where to?" He questioned as his bright eyes glimmered._

" _I can't say that I do" Sam replied honestly._

 _With a small smile, the boy looked at the stars and pointed to the ones Sam had mentioned._

" _You boys see that one, that one on the right? That's Neverland" he told us._

 _I eyed him quizzically._

" _What's Neverland?" I asked._

 _With a grin the boy explained;_

" _It's where I'm from. It's a magical place where lost boys never have to grow up. Where they can have fun all the time without adults to pester them."_

 _He spoke so wonderfully of this place that it was hard to imagine not wanting to live there. I stood in awe as a real-life fairytale stood before me._

" _Who are you?" I questioned, my voice trailing with wonder and hope._

 _The boy stood up straight and held out his hand. With an endearing tooth-full grin he replied;_

" _The name's Peter—"_

 _He gripped my hand tightly._

" _Peter Pan."_

 _Letting go of his hand I looked back at the stars._

" _Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Pan" I responded as I shyly turned away._

 _I took a few steps back as my gaze fell to the ground._

" _Perhaps, you boys would like to come to see the Neverland?" Peter offered._

 _Sam's expression was absolutely ecstatic while mine remained calm and reserved._

" _I appreciate the offer…but I don't know how I could leave…" I declined._

 _Peter's smile faded slightly while his eyes seemed to have the ability to look into my soul._

" _My mother…she was all I had…" I spoke solemnly as I looked to the ground._

 _Throughout all of this Sam remained quiet._

" _What are your names?" Peter curiously asked as he looked at us both._

 _Introducing himself Sam shook Peter's hand;_

" _Sam."_

 _As he turned to me I replied;_

" _Gail."_

 _Peter glanced between the two of us when his gaze fell back to me. His face softened as his smile faded._

" _I lost my mother too" he spoke, meeting my eyes._

" _Judging by your manners I would guess that she was a wonderful woman, and she would've wanted you to do something for yourself for once," Peter said._

 _As I listened to his words I began to wonder if he was right. I had spent my whole life doing things for others without taking the time to think about myself._

" _Well, what if it's not as magical as I hope it to be?" I asked worriedly._

 _Peter's lips stretched into a slight smile. He held both of his hands out in front of him._

" _Would you like to see for yourself?"_

 _Eyeing his outstretched hand I looked out into the sky. My mother was up living with the stars, so I saw it fit to finally join her._

* * *

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

It wasn't long before the majority of the Lost Boys had gathered around in a circle to watch the duel. Just as I'd feared, Brett challenged Trent in a duel. I stood and watched toward the front of the crowd with Sam and Julian beside continued to be optimistic even throughout watching the duel. As I observed I began to get more nervous. Brett was really advanced. The struggle in Trent's eyes was obvious to everyone watching. He wouldn't be able to hold on much longer…I gritted my teeth and watched with hopeful eyes that somehow he'd be able to pull through. But my stomach practically hit the ground when Trent tripped and fell on his back, inching away from Brett who stood above him in victory. Boys all-around cheered for their new victor.

Trent had lost.

I turned to face Julian who held a calm expression.

"Don't worry Hannah…" he spoke quietly under his breath.

My heart began to beat faster and faster as Brett's eyes met mine. The same boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes called aloud to the boys as Trent stood up from the ground;

"And the new reigning champion is…Brett!"

The constant hoots and hollers made me nauseous. The boy piped up again;

"Do we have any new challengers—"

"Actually—" Brett cut him off.

Oh no…

It was happening…

He met my eyes once more before speaking.

"I'd like to call someone out" he revealed with a sinister grin.

Not taking his eyes off me Brett announced to all of the Lost Boys.

"I challenge Hannah."

Some boys were confused as all of their eyes were drawn towards me. Oohs and ahhs could be heard from all-around as I clenched my jaw.

"Well? Don't be shy…" Brett insisted, trying to act as though he was being warm and welcoming.

Feeling a shove from a boy behind me I stepped forward hesitantly. Boys spoke under their breaths as they watched me. Looking over towards Trent he met my eyes. I caught the sword as he tossed it in the air to me.

"You know the rules?" He questioned as if I was incompetent.

Clenching my fists as well as my jaw I exhaled to relax.

"Yes…" I answered snarkily.

With raised brows Brett eyed me. He took his stance with his sword out in front of him. Following suit I focused on the way he was standing in an attempt to find any weaknesses. But as I examined him I didn't see anything that was blatantly obvious. Without warning, Brett charged toward me with his sword. My reflection danced warmly within the warm metal blade of my sword as I blocked Brett's first swing. Pushing the sword away from me I quickly threw the edge of my blade towards him. However, he was a step ahead of me and already blocked it. His laugh only fueled my rage. With a sudden outburst of energy, I pulled my sword back and swung close to his face. Though he deflected it once more, it allowed me to make direct eye contact with him. Maybe if I came across more intimidating I'd have a better chance of psyching this kid out. But when I, in fact, looked into his eyes I felt slightly unsettled. His eyes were the same chocolate brown except now green and blue specks were splattered throughout his irises. With my thoughts being interrupted he swung his sword powerfully near the edge of my face. Trying to stay calm and focused, I took deep breaths in between every swing I made. Unlike my duel with Pan, the Lost Boys cheered with enthusiasm. They hooted and hollered, but what caught me by surprise was the fact that I could hear voices cheering my name. One after another I swung my sword towards him, only to cause him to back away. The cheers began to grow louder, only encouraging me more. Brett raised his sword in an attempt to deflect my strikes, but I never gave him the chance to successfully block any of them. Wisps of the blade rang throughout the air as I showed him no mercy. Continuing to close him off I watched as fear flashed through his eyes. Quickly, he struck back at me. But as I was taught to do, I assessed my situation by watching his feet. I could see him dragging his feet across the ground as he stepped back from me. With an incredible amount of vigor, I charged straight for him with my sword, causing him to back up and eventually trip on his own two feet. Standing above him I held my sword up to his neck. For a split second the entire camp was silent as they watched. Brett shaking his head in doubt, I scoffed;

"Guess you just couldn't keep up with me…"

Grinning, several Lost Boys chanted and shouted at the top of their lungs in excitement. As I pulled the tip of my sword away from Brett's neck he stood up from the ground. Tossing his sword on the ground he nonchalantly walked into the crowd of Lost Boys and disappeared within it. As I looked around myself Lost Boys smiled and cheered me on. My eyes locked with Julian and Sam who had outstretched smiles across their faces. I couldn't help but smile widely. For the first time in a long time, I was actually proud of myself. I never knew what I was capable of…I shouted overtop of the chanting boys in a sarcastic tone;

"And you all underestimated a Lost Girl!"

They continued to cheer as I stood before them, proud of my victory. However, after a few moments Julian stepped forward from the crowd with a concerned expression and spoke quietly to me;

"Okay Hannah, I think you've had enough—"

But before he could finish I shoved him off and reveled in my victory. Moments later Sam took a hold of Julian's arm and pulled him back into the crowd.

"Who thinks they can take on me?!" I challenged amongst the boys, feeling a great amount of confidence fill my being.

The Lost Boys' chants and cheers began to die down as a sudden rustling sound in the air caught everyone's attention, drawing their eyes to something in the trees. From within the trees, a figure dropped to the ground, landing on his feet in a crouch. As his feet made contact with the ground a loud thud echoed through the air. At this time all of the boys went silent. The figure stood up from his crouch. Unable to see his face, I stood my ground. The figured appeared tall, maybe an inch or two taller than me. He walked towards me casually, leaving a few feet in between us. I could faintly hear whispers of Lost Boys around me, but I couldn't discern what they were discussing. The figure stopped suddenly as everyone watched. He reached over to his belt and unsheathed a sharp, reflective silver sword with swirls and patterns encrusted in it. He gripped it tightly in his hands as he brought the sword down to his side.

A challenger?

Alright, bring it on.

After my first victory, I felt like I could do anything.

I felt _**invincible**_ …

I stood tall and kept my chin held high.

"And who might you be?" I questioned authoritatively, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear me.

As he approached another step closer the figure stopped. Taking his non-dominant hand he reached up toward his face, grabbing and pulling back the hood of his emerald green cloak.

—

A.N:

Hey guys! I'm back again with another update! Can you believe it?! I'm so happy that I've been able to continue updating within a reasonable amount of time and I'm so thankful for all of your support! So, what are your thoughts on Gail and Sam's past? How do you feel about Hannah's duel? Do you think Hannah's in over her head? Let me know all of your thoughts and predictions in the comments because I enjoy reading each and every one of them! Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you all in the next update!

-Agm3


	12. Chapter 12: The Boy Underneath The Cloak

Chapter 12: The Boy Underneath The Cloak

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

While the figure took his non-dominant hand and reached upward toward his face he grabbed and pulled back the hood of his emerald green cloak. As he did so, my eyes were immediately drawn to stray pieces of dark hair that began to fall out from underneath the hood. I watched the pieces fall from underneath the hood, but what I didn't expect was his hair continued to fall down toward his chest, getting longer and longer by the second. When I looked away from the boy's long hair toward his face my stomach dropped and I could hardly breathe. Standing before me was no boy…

It was a _**girl**_ …

The girl's eyes were a rich, chestnut brown, similar to the fallen leaves that covered the ground. Her dark hair fell just above her elbows, holding soft waves within it. She stood tall, almost an inch or two taller than me. Her complexion was flawless and her overall appearance would be sought after by any girl that laid eyes on her, making them fume with jealousy at her near perfect looks. She was the definition of beauty, at least on the outside.

She eyed me with her golden orbs and suddenly swung her sword only an inch in front of my face. Taken by shock, I stepped back to keep my balance and avoid her swing. I swung my sword back at her, only for her to deflect it. She quickly spun around and sliced her sword through the air close to my face once more. Taking in deep breaths I did my best to focus, but she was too fast. One after another her sword sent wisps of air near me, only making me continue to step away from her. Her sword clashed against mine as I tried to strike once more.

It was now that I was close to her and could truly look into her eyes. They were fierce and focused directly on me. But what made me uneasy was how cold they appeared. Despite the warm red and green colors swirled within them, they were lifeless and bleak. She pushed me away from her and whirled her sword in my direction. This time I successfully blocked her sword. But as I pulled away and attempted to strike she had already veered away and avoided it. Any time I attempted to swing my sword remotely near her she deflected it. It was like she knew my every move…It reminded me so much of someone else I knew…

I stepped back once more, keeping my eyes locked with hers. But as I did so I felt something push the back of my calf forward and underneath me. Suddenly, I didn't feel the ground below me. I fell flat on my back as the girl had tripped me with her foot, making me drop my sword. As I landed on a ground with a thump the leaves around me blew outward. Feeling sharp pains course through my back I just barely opened my eyes. I looked toward the sky momentarily as I tried to comprehend what just happened. Clenching my fists I sat up and leaned back on my elbows, looking up at the girl standing above me. The Lost Boys observed quietly and intently, other than the murmurs that were being exchanged amongst themselves. The dark haired girl took a few steps closer until she stood directly in front of me.

"I'm just a lost girl…" she spoke, her eyes staring directly into mine. Her voice was smooth and pleasant, yet it seemed almost fake, or as if her voice wasn't used to being used very much. I inhaled and exhaled deeply as all of the Lost Boys' eyes were on us. They observed my defeat and my obvious embarrassment up close. I wanted to hide from the fact that I was easily defeated after I was so confident in myself.

"I'm Lea" she continued. Sheathing her sword, she outstretched her hand toward me, offering to help me up. Looking up at her I felt a sort of animosity towards her. First, she acts all tough and beats me to the ground, then she pretends to be caring and offers to help me up? I see right through her. I see right through all of the fake people I meet, and I can already tell she's one of them. Declining her offer, I rudely stood up on my own and turned away from her, beginning to storm into the crowd of Lost Boys.

"Seems like you have quite the trouble swallowing your pride."

I stopped in my tracks as her voice rang throughout the silent forest. Any and all murmurs amongst the Lost Boys immediately ceased. Turning my head I glared back at her. Who the hell does this girl think she is? Without considering the consequences I stormed over to her. Feeling my blood begin to boil in my veins like burning magma I raised my hand, ready to smack the cocky expression off her face. But before I could even build up any momentum the girl quickly grabbed ahold of my wrist with her right hand and clamped down on it. I hissed as the amount of strength this girl had was shocking and alarming. When I tried to pull away from her she gripped my wrist harder and scowled at me.

"Don't even try it—" she hissed. It was now that I realized I was unable to pull my wrist free. The girl's eyes narrowed and became dark—darker than you'd expect from a girl who doesn't come across as looking very tough. But that was part of her trick. Her looks and seemingly kind nature concealed her true character; cruel and bitter.

"You may think you just automatically get respect from winning a rigged fight, but you don't _**win**_ respect—" Her grip around my wrist tightened further.

"You earn it."

There was a slight pause before she released my wrist from her grasp and stormed off into the crowd of surrounding Lost Boys. It was then that everyone's attention fell to me. They whispered and gossiped aloud as the girl's words echoed in my head.

" _You don't_ _ **win**_ _respect…"_

The Lost Boys began to disperse from around me as I continued mulling over what she meant. What did she mean by winning a rigged fight? How could she think I faked it? Because obviously, that would be impossible. There's no way a jerk like Brett would agree to ruin his reputation to help me. Unless—

If maybe…

The memory of when I first met Brett flashed in my mind. The memory was still fresh as it had only happened yesterday.

 _Brett took a step forward and made direct eye contact, allowing me to look into his chocolate brown eyes that appeared to have specks of red and yellow flakes splattered throughout it._

Then suddenly an odd detail from the duel played in my head.

 _But when I, in fact, looked into his eyes I felt slightly unsettled. His eyes were the same chocolate brown except now green and blue specks were splattered throughout his irises…_

My fists clenched as well did my jaw. Everything now made sense. My anger began to consume me. The duel _was_ rigged. But who would've done it to benefit me? To make me _feel better_? To make me appear less _weak_? Turning towards the fire nearby the huts I witnessed Julian sitting alongside Sam by it with his hands folded in his lap. As my anger grew I started towards him, rehearsing all of the things I wanted to say in my head. He lifted his head when he got a glance of me approaching him. Now standing before them I finally released my anger.

"Why did you set me up?" I confronted him with a stern voice. Julian's expression turned to one of confusion, as did Sam's. Julian began to speak as he stood up from his seat.

"What do you—"

"Don't play games with me. That wasn't Brett in the ring with me." I cut him off, my snarky tone filling the air. At this point, Sam stood up and stepped in.

"Look, we don't know what you're talking about. Neither Julian or I would set you up. We didn't do anything, right Julian?" Sam turned to Julian expecting an answer. But Julian stayed silent as his gaze fell to the ground. With this, Sam's expression contorted into one of even more confusion. His lips parted as his eyes begged for him to agree with him. Speaking up from his silence Julian started.

"Look, I didn't intend to set you up. I just thought it would be better to be safe. I didn't know she would be here…" He spoke quietly as his eyes met mine, his facial expression remaining serious. I scoffed and shook my head, eyes staring daggers at him as my rage-filled voice continued.

"Be safe? You humiliated me!"

"Julian…what did you do?" Sam questioned disappointedly, strands of his messy hair falling in front of his eyes. Julian sighed and rested his eyes before shortly reopening them.

"He convinced Rhett to stand in for Brett and fake the fight. He told him to lose on purpose" I explained through gritted teeth. Sam's eyes were full of shock as he questioned aloud.

"Julian, is that true?" Releasing a heavy sigh Julian replied.

"Yes."

I knew it…How could I have been so foolish to believe I could have actually defeated someone in a duel on my own? Sam's sad eyes looked to Julian disbelievingly.

"Thanks to you nobody here will _**ever**_ take me seriously. And by the way, thanks to _**both**_ of you for not telling me that I wasn't the only girl!" My anger must have scared them because both of the boys remained speechless. To be honest, I was more angry with Julian than I was with Sam. Julian pretended to have faith in me. He _**lied**_ to me. To think that I could ever trust him…Julian started up once more, desperately trying to justify himself.

"We never told you that you were the only girl, you kinda just assumed it. And it was very easy to assume that since she's not around very much. There's still so much about Neverland you don't know…" I continued to look him angrily in the eyes as he tried to apologize. "I'm sorry…"

"Well, you should have thought about that before letting me go out there in front of everyone looking like a fool…" Turning on my heel I stormed off from the boys, still feeling rage run through my entire body. Leave it to me to trust a bunch of boys…I walked farther and farther away from them until I was met with the exit of camp. My initial intention was to leave for a walk. That was until I heard someone calling after me.

"Hey, Blondie!" I turned around, recognizing the obnoxious voice. I was met by the flaming redhead with fiery brown eyes; Brett. And this time, I _**knew**_ it was him.

"What do you want?" I snarled, not in the mood to talk to him, or anyone for that matter.

"Listen, a deal's a deal. I figure you still wanna ask your questions?" He spoke with a genuine expression. I looked at him with a raised brow.

"What are you trying to pull? I already know about the fight, you ass—"

"I believe I don't know what you're talking about. And if I were you, I'd go along with it so I could get some answers." Brett said, cutting me off with a mischievous grin. Eyeing him suspiciously, all I could think was that I had nothing to lose; literally. Exhaling a deep breath I nodded my head, turning back to the exit with Brett alongside me. As we exited the camp I already had a whole list of questions fresh on my mind.

 **Sam's Perspective:**

After Hannah stormed off from us I turned to Julian with a disappointed expression. "What the hell were you thinking? Were you trying to screw her over?" I asked boldly. The fact that he kept all of this a secret from me just blew my mind.

"I was trying to help. How was I supposed to know Lea would come in and kick her ass?" He tried. Julian looked to me desperately, as if it was his only choice. But I held no sympathy for him.

"That's not the point. Hannah trusted you when she needed you most and you let her down. Not to mention that you kept all of it a secret from me, your best friend." I glared at him as I was still in shock that he had gone behind my back. Ever since Jake died he's been constantly keeping secrets from me. Julian sighed before beginning once more.

"I'm sorry, but I had to. I knew you would try to stop me and I did what I thought was right. But I messed up." Julian continued to try and explain why he did what he did, but I had had enough.

"Yeah, you sure did." I walked away from Julian and left him alone at the fire. He was gonna have to figure that one out without me. I just still couldn't believe he would do such a thing to Hannah. Now she'll never trust us again…I felt betrayed and alone. There was only one person I felt like talking to. I had a slight feeling that maybe I'd be able to find her.

I walked through the woods by myself, listening to the wind in the trees. Surrounding me was a bunch of standing ash trees along with a few fallen trees laying on the ground. If I didn't know any better I'd say she should be someone around here. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough? But where else would she possibly—

My thoughts were interrupted when something hard hit the back of my head. Looking to the ground I saw a small gray stone at feet. When I turned around in the distance I was met with a pair of bright brown eyes and a playful smirk, standing atop of a fallen tree.

"Lea!" I exclaimed as I darted towards her. She hopped down onto the ground with outstretched arms. I lunged toward her and embraced her in a hug, picking her off the ground.

"Whoah there, Sam! Calm down!" Lea laughed as she returned the hug. I put her back down on the ground but still continued to hug her.

"How can I calm down when I haven't seen you in so long?!" I celebrated, a smile stretched across my face. She laughed once more. "Has it been three months already?" I questioned with astonishment. I let go of her and stepped back.

"Two and a half," she said. "But I came back early because it's important." Hearing her voice was always a pleasant surprise. Since she can't be around much anymore it's really special to hear it.

"Well, you probably have Pan wondering what's going on. It must really be something if you're not staying on schedule."

"I know, I know, but it can't wait. It's urgent."

"Then why are you out here when you could be talking to him now?" I asked. Lea shook her head and sighed, rolling her eyes to the back of her head.

"Because I got distracted and now I just need to calm down." I raised a brow and spoke to her.

"She's not as bad as she makes herself out to be you know. She's just feeling how you did when you—"

"Nah uh, no. Don't compare me to her. We're not alike." She quickly shot me down and denied me. The way she quickly cut me off really said something about how much she disliked her.

"How would you know? You don't even know her." I responded with a confused expression.

"And you do?" She quickly shot back. "I know enough. You saw the way she looked at me." Pieces of her long dark hair fell in front of her face.

"But was it really necessary to do what you did back there?" I questioned, trying to get her to reason with me. In all seriousness, she responded.

"Someone needed to put her in her place." Her gaze fell to the ground as she took a few steps away from me.

"You don't think it was a little harsh?" I asked honestly. Her eyes met mine and suddenly darkened.

"That was me being nice" she snarled. "She denied my friendship, so she got what was coming to her." Silence fell between us for a few moments. I could hear her breathing heavily and instantly knew she was getting stressed.

"I'm sorry…" I spoke. Her expression softened slightly.

"What for?" She questioned, exhaling a deep breath. My heart began to ache as I spoke.

"For constantly having to be alone." Lea rested her eyes and looked away from me. When she reopened her eyes her gaze fell towards the leaf covered ground. Her voice now was more calm and smooth.

"It's for your guys' safety. There's not much else that can be done…" She trailed off and ran her fingers through her hair.

"You wanna talk about it?" I asked, trying to help in any way that I could. I hated seeing her so bitter. It was just so unlike her.

"No, I'm fine."

She began walking farther into the woods, leaving me by myself. She disappeared into the trees, most likely heading back to talk to Pan. What I didn't understand was why she wouldn't open up to me anymore. You'd think that being alone in the forest would make you burst with things to say, but I guess I was wrong. She remained closed off and secluded. I had hope that maybe one day she'd be able to open up to me, to all of us, again. But that hope has slowly faded with time. She was set in her ways of being distant…

And alone…

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Finally finished this chapter. Took me a while but I wanted to make sure I got it right. Plus this new format was a bit tricky for me to figure out. Speaking of, what do you guys think of this new format I wrote in? Yes? No? Maybe so? Anyway, what did you guys think? I don't want to say anything too revealing because I want to know all of your own thoughts! Don't forget to comment your thoughts and predictions and I'll see you all in the next update!

—Agm3


	13. Chapter 13: Weakness

Chapter 13: Weakness

 **? Perspective:**

The skin on my back started out just barely numb as my knees began to bruise from pushing deeper and deeper into the surface of the floor. Trying to counteract the thrashes I gritted my teeth and held my breath. But every time the coarse leather struck my back the wind was knocked out of me and I screamed until my throat gave out. They had forced me to remove my shirt from my body and get down on my knees, chaining my wrists to the pole so that I was unable to flee. I attempted to hold my tears in but a few escaped and streamed down my cheeks, falling from my chin to the floor. It was rare of me to ever cry, especially in front of others. I never showed emotions such as this to continue the facade that I was fearless—brave even. Not to mention it was always important that I be tough to inspire the Lost Boys that felt like they were never capable of being strong like grown men, yet still, have the heart and curiosity of young boys.

The numbness had now slowly grown into an itchy, burning sensation. I could feel my skin start to pucker as pieces of it began to split. My body shook as he continued to lash at me. It was now that the muscles in my body began to spasm. It seemed to be that the more I shuddered the quicker he would lash at me. One hit after another he continued to wound me without ceasing. The sudden urge to writhe in pain made it nearly impossible to hold in my shouts.

"Hand me that flask" his husky voice roared. For a slight moment, the whipping had stopped and I sat on my knees breathing heavily. From behind me, I could hear the clanking sound of something metal. In desperation, I tried with all my might to inch closer toward the pole to have it as something to latch onto. But before I could latch on my back seared in pain, feeling as though it was being scorched by the flames of a burning campfire. My screams of agony echoed for what seemed would be miles as my whole body collapsed onto the floor. A flask of alcohol had been thrown onto my fresh wounds, making them sting and froth. It was as if someone took a piece of sandpaper and sanded away at my completely open wounds. Feeling liquid drip down my back I was sure that it couldn't have just been the alcohol.

"That's enough…" he grimaced. His footsteps walked in the opposite direction of me as I laid on the floor shaking and shivering. My faint breaths were quick and staggered. The tears that I had fought so hard to hold in had now finally seen the light of day. My muscles slowly ceased to vibrate as I began to breathe slower, heavier breaths. The stinging wounds on my back now only seemed to ache. My external wounds, however, weren't the only thing that ached. My inner being ached to know that I would never be able to escape from this living hell.

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

"What do you mean you won't tell me?" I grimaced as Brett spoke. My voice was harsh as he shook his head. "We had a deal." Strolling through a path in the forest Brett held his hands up in defense.

"Hey, watch it. Yes, we had a deal…But I can't talk about her. Not until you get to know her first." My muscles began to tense up. I immediately shot him a distasteful glare and scoffed. Of course, he wouldn't tell me what I actually wanted to know. That would be too easy.

"Why would you care if I got to know her? Why would I _want_ to get to know her?" I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Why would I want to get to know _her_? It's pretty obvious that neither of us has any interest in being acquaintances, let alone friends. Plus, anyone that just appears out of nowhere at such an odd time has something up their sleeve.

"Not my choice—Pan's orders." His yellow eyes met mine as I turned my head away from him.

"Of course it is…" I sighed, rolling my eyes at the thought of me being so naive, thinking that Brett was actually trying to help me.

"But anything else I'd be just ecstatic to fill you in on" he offered. Looking ahead of me I dropped my head and sighed. Why should I even bother trusting him? He's just one big ticking time bomb waiting to destroy my life more than it has been. But then again, even the most unsuspicious people can turn you into a laughing stock. The thought of Julian made me want to beat the snot out of him, then beat the snot out of myself for being so gullible. What was the point in caring who to trust anymore? Who knows if anything he's told me is even credible? Though there was one thing that he kept a secret from me besides that girl.

"What's the deal with all of those names carved into that tree at camp?" Brett's eyes widened slightly but quickly relaxed. He seemed to ponder over the correct things to say.

"Something you're gonna discover fairly quickly here, darling,—" he paused as he turned his head to look me in the eyes. "—Is that Neverland isn't how it seems in the storybooks." The corner of his mouth tugged into a slight grin, while his eyes grew slightly dark. "This place has its secrets, as well do the people who inhabit it. Right now Pan and your _'friends'_ are trying to shield you from the realities of this place. Neverland is a dark, cold world. My guess is that maybe with you not knowing all of its horrors that you'll possibly bring them hope…" Brett trailed off as he looked above into the trees. "That, or you're just a pawn for the pirates…" he smirked with dark eyes.

His unsettling remarks only made me more curious. "Are you telling me that Captain Hook is real?" Brett chuckled and nodded his head.

"Why? Are you scared?" He mocked with a snarky grin. His yellow eyes caught a speckle of sunlight and reflected his rotten personality into the air. I scoffed and returned a joking glare.

"No way in hell am I afraid of some old man flouncing around in a pirate hat with a hook for a hand." I rolled my eyes walked leisurely ahead of Brett.

"You should be" his voice rang through the air. I stopped walking and hesitantly turned to look at him. He had stopped in his tracks staring straight at me. "You think he's some kind of boogie man or something? He's the realist part about Neverland. He'll gut you in front of his crew in less than a second." Rolling my eyes I shook my head, turning back around and continuing to walk the trail. I could tell by the expression of irritation on Brett's face that he was getting frustrated.

"And if you think he'd go easy on you because you're a girl—" Brett paused as his voice grew instantly dark. It was then that I felt a rush of air, breathing down my neck. Turning my head I was startled when I saw Brett standing only inches behind me. "You're mistaken." With a peculiar amount of intentness, his eyes were locked with mine. After a few moments, he broke eye contact and walked ahead of me. For a few seconds, all I could do was stare at the ground, trying to understand what the big deal was. "You coming blondie?" Brett hollered when I realized he had walked far ahead of me.

"What is it with you Lost Boys and nicknames?" I grumbled. Exhaling a heavy breath I jogged to catch up to Brett. At this point, there was a question at the back of my head that was just dying to reach the surface. "What happened to those boys on the tree? I know they went missing, but _how_?" I asked as my tone of voice became more sincere and genuine. With raised brows, Brett looked me in the eyes as another sly smile crept across his face.

"You want to know the _real_ reason why?" He questioned with his familiar and slightly sarcastic tone of voice. I silently nodded my head, disregarding the sarcasm in his question. A part of my inner being had a suspicious feeling that everything he was telling me was complete and utter bull crap, but at the same time, what if it wasn't? What if there was a slim chance that he was actually telling me the truth? Brett continued to leisurely stroll beside me as his voice started.

"Hook got to them." He glanced at the sky and clouds above as I listened.

"What do you mean _'got to them'_?" I continued looking at Brett as his eyes didn't leave the sky.

"He got in their heads. And once Hook gets in there, it's a real battle to get him out…" He scanned the clouds and the trees, almost as if he was searching for something that wasn't there. "One by one Hook has captured Lost Boys and gotten into their heads. They lose their ability to think for themselves—he controls them; their minds, their thoughts, their decisions, their actions…" Brett trailed off as his eyes left the sky. "The hard part is that we can't save them…"

My thoughts were scattered and I felt my heart sink deep into my chest. I remember that boy in the forest, chasing after me with a dead expression. What was his name…gosh what was his name?

"One thing that really screws you up is when you watch it happen to your best friend…" Brett's face softened as he looked to me. "I watched it happen to mine…"

 **Brett's Perspective:**

 _The foul odor of the man grabbing a hold of my hair made my eyes burn. He pushed me further toward the ground on my knees. Beside me, Daniel was being shoved toward the ground on his knees as well. The two pirates stood behind our backs as the pale blue-eyed menace himself stood before us._

" _Who's up first?" He grinned maniacally, his rotten teeth peeking from behind his pale lips. Neither one of us spoke until Daniel shouted aloud._

" _Pan! Felix! Someone—"_

" _Looks like we have a volunteer!" Hook grimaced as he grabbed a hold of Daniel's shirt and threw him forward to the ground. Hook reached his one good hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a sparkling dark purple vial. Daniel attempted to crawl back on his hands but was stopped when the back of his head bumped into the tree behind him."You won't be doing much talking after this…" Uncapping the vial, Hook threw some of the contents of the vial near Daniel's face. Daniel's eyes were filled with horror as he was doused in the shimmering powder. But only seconds later his pupils dilated and I watched as his eyes went cold and lifeless. His trademark vibrant green eyes were now pale and dopey. His heavy breathing had slowed and his face was left expressionless. Hook held a crooked smile as he glanced over towards me. I struggled as the crew member still had a grip on me._

" _Looks like you're up next" he smirked, his pale blue eyes locked with mine. I attempted to inch back but I was held firmly in my place. Hook took a step towards me but suddenly stopped. I could tell that the wheels were turning in his mind; plotting. "On second thought…I have a better idea…" Hook turned towards Daniel who still lay against the tree. Looking him dead in his eyes, Hook pointed behind himself at me._

" _Kill him."_

 _My heart sank and my eyes widened. Daniel turned his head as his cold eyes fell upon me. Within a few seconds, Daniel stood up. The pirates removed themselves from behind me as Daniel darted in my direction. Fear filled my entire being as Daniel landed on top of me, attempted to wrap his hands around my neck. I tossed him off of me momentarily before attempting to stand up. But he pulled me back to the ground and threw his fist into my jaw. I covered my face with my forearms in defense before punching him back. He fell to the ground before bouncing back up. Landing a punch into my cheek he pinned me down._

" _Daniel! It's me!" I exclaimed desperately. But it was as if he couldn't hear me. His eyes were stern and emotionless. Seconds passed before his hands wrapped around my neck, crushing and squeezing out any ounce of oxygen I had left. I struggled and began to gag. All I could see before my vision started to blur was Daniel's dark eyes as he was suffocating me._

 _Without warning, Daniel was thrown off of me onto the ground beside me. While it took a moment to regain my vision I could hear the words "Daniel! It's me! It's—" before hearing a loud thud. My vision focusing, I found Lea on the ground with her nose dripping blood. She stood up quickly, ducking as Daniel threw another punch. To the best of my ability, I stood up from the ground and witnessed Lea draw an arrow back to her cheek, aiming directly at Daniel._

" _Daniel, don't make me hurt you!" she shouted as she shut her eyes in fear of releasing the arrow. Fear built up inside of me as Daniel ran towards her._

" _Lea don't!" I shouted._

 _At that moment my heart stopped. Lea released her arrow. It flew through the air, burrowing its way into Daniel's shoulder, making him fall to his knees. Lea's eyes were wide as well were mine. Daniel breathed heavily for a moment and paused. Quickly exchanging an unsure glance with Lea I stepped back. Daniel brought his hands up to his shoulders, wrapping his fingers around the wooden arrow. My stomach flipped as he pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. Throwing the blood-soaked arrow to the ground he stood up from his knees. The forest was silent except for the heavy breathing of the three of us. Daniel looked up at both Lea and me before bolting in the opposite direction of the forest. It wasn't until now that I realized that Hook and his crew members were long gone._

" _Brett what the hell is wrong with Daniel?! He nearly killed you!" Lea exclaimed as her breathing became heavy. I stood silently with my eyes wide in shock. Hook controlled my best friend like a marionette doll…_

 _My best friend tried to kill me…_

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

"I'm…sorry…" was all I could think to say. Brett sighed before continuing to walk again. "Is he one of the ones that…passed?" I asked, trying to make sense of everything. He shook his head slightly and chuckled.

"No…No, he's alive. I see him around once in a while. After all, who knows what' he's gotten into since then. It's been eight months since it happened." I furrowed my brows in confusion. However, I dismissed it, figuring he probably didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Do you mind me asking what happened to the two boys that—"

"Died? Eh, they're long stories…I don't know that you have time for them." Brett turned to me. Shaking my head and shrugging my shoulders I replied.

"I've got time." Seemingly surprised, Brett shrugged his shoulders as he sat down on a nearby tree stump. Following suit I sat beside him on another tree stump, my back hunched over on my knees. Swallowing the lump in his throat Brett began to speak.

"It all started…with a Lost Boy named Gail…"

 **Pan's Perspective:**

I sat on my bed with my back against the wall, scraping two daggers across each other repeatedly. I was relatively relaxed until I heard a knock at the door.

"Yeah, um, I'm kinda busy. Leave me alone" I called out. However, to my dismay the knocking continued, this time louder and more persistent. I groaned.

"Can't you tell I'm busy? Go away!" I shouted louder this time. There was a momentary pause before the perpetrator opened the door. My eyes not leaving the knives I scraped together I rolled my eyes and allowed my voice to grow dark. I slowly stood up from my bed.

"For the love god, how incompetent do you have to be to—"

As my gaze left my reflection revealed in the blades I found myself looking upon a cloaked figure standing in the doorway. Closing the door behind them they pulled their hood back, revealing their identity. Though it was never a mystery who was behind the emerald green cloak.

"Lea?" My eyes widened as I quickly approached her, wrapping my arms and embracing her. I held her close to me, being as the last time I had seen her was almost two months ago.

"God, it feels like it's been forever…" I spoke quietly, still embracing her. She squeezed me tightly.

"I know…" she said, a small smile forming upon her lips. I pulled away from her, my gaze meeting her eyes. They were glassy and bland, holding a sort of uneasiness within them.

"You're not supposed to visit for another few weeks…" I spoke aloud in question. She nodded slightly and her smile gradually faded. "That can only mean…" I trailed off before taking a small step away from her. I brought my hand up to my forehead and sighed. Lea's somber expression made me feel ill. Which reminds me…

I strolled over to my potion cabinet and selected the familiar light blue vial from the shelf containing another twenty or so bottles of it. I uncapped the bottle, throwing the cork on the floor. Bringing the vial to my lips I downed the cold liquid until the vial was empty. As I swallowed I felt the familiar pressure against my chest. My eyelids struggled for a moment to stay open. My breathing became heavy until my whole world appeared to turn gray again. The anxiety in the pit of my stomach vanished.

"I take it you haven't been able to control your emotions yet…" Lea spoke softly. "I know how that goes…" Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her gaze fall to the ground as I stared at the bottles in my cabinet.

"They're a liability to me now. Without them…it's bad." I turned towards her and sighed. "What brings you here off the normal schedule?" I questioned. She looked back up to me and shook her head.

"I saw something," she said. "Something I can't get my mind off of." Her fingers rubbed her temples as she rested her eyes. I eyed her quizzically, eager to understand what she meant. I approached my bed and sat on the edge, my forearms resting on my knees. Raising my eyebrows I patted the spot beside me. One step at a time she slowly approached and sat beside me on my met. Her breathing consisted of deep, long breaths. She sat staring at her hands folded in her lap, picking at her nails.

"Peter…" Lea spoke, her voice drowned in fear. I turned my head and fixated my eyes upon her.

"They know our weakness."

A.N:

—

Hello everyone! Long time no see! I know it's been a while and I apologize. But now that school has been in session for a few months I hope I'll be able to get back into the mode of writing regularly. Anyway, what do you guys think? Is Brett being sincere? And who do you think "? POV" is? Leave your thoughts and comments below cause I enjoy reading them! I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	14. Chapter 14: A Shared Memory

Chapter 14: A Shared Memory

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

The sky was dark and the air was cool by the time I returned to camp. My stomach didn't long for food anymore. I had lost my appetite and couldn't manage to keep my thoughts straight. The only thing I really longed for was some peace and quiet. The fire sizzled and crackled in the middle of the camp with boys sitting around it, conversing and chatting. Of those boys included Julian, who sat with his hands resting on his knees, staring into the orange and yellow embers.

My focus was drawn back to getting to my hut. It was easier to find now that I had been here for a few days. Unfortunately, I still hadn't quite been able to get any quality sleep. Every time I entered the hut unexplainable shivers crept up my spine, only now I had a credible reason to feel this way. The door creaked as I swung it open, letting the cool air infiltrate the otherwise warm hut. The candle was lit on the bedside table, just barely illuminating the hut for me to see. Hearing the laughter of the boys around the campfire reminded me to shut the door behind me. Doing so, I strolled over to my already made bed and plopped myself down, my head laying on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling.

I exhaled a heavy sigh. For once in my life, I wish I hadn't been so nosey. I would never say it out loud, but what Brett told me really got me to question my strength. How is it that these strong boys can be overpowered by a few middle-aged men? What kind of sick, twisted people murder a teenage boy in front of his best friends?

And what were the odds that I'd end up sleeping in his bed…

Replacing him?

I shut my eyes and exhaled another heavy sigh. Could this day get any worse? I humiliated myself, I was betrayed by someone I trusted, I learned that this place is full of cold-blooded killers and demons, what more could a teenage girl ask for? All I wanted right now was to talk to someone who understood me—someone who understands what it feels like to be stuck. It seems like I'll never get out of this rut of not being enough. From then it didn't take long for my body to feel as though it was being dragged through a tub of molasses. First, my arms, then my legs felt like they were sinking deeper into the bed. My breathing slowed with every breath I took. A sudden warmth overtook me, making my eyelids feel heavy. At first, I resisted, but not before long my eyes had shut for good and my subconscious took control.

I opened my eyes to reveal an open field before me. The sky was golden and the long grass in the field blew with the wind. Looking around myself I took a few steps forward, hearing my feet step on the greenery beneath me. I couldn't tell whether or not I was in Neverland, but regardless, it was quite peaceful and relaxing. Resting my eyes, I inhaled a deep breath and slowly released it. When I reopened my eyes I felt as though a hundred pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. Ever since I arrived here in Neverland I've felt like I've never belonged. I've felt…lost…So why am I here? What is my purpose?

A light, cool breeze interrupted my thoughts. The scent of wooded pine and honey filled my senses. It seemed familiar to me in such a way I couldn't quite remember where it was from. I stood in question for a moment, feeling a chill brush across my back. I turned my body to the opposite direction, feeling as though I was being watched. But as I turned around and the sun glared into my eyes I saw nothing standing before me except the wide open field. I looked upon the field in wonder and confusion.

I _feel_ something… _someone_ …

It seemed insane to think, but I didn't feel alone. I know what " _alone"_ feels like, and this isn't it. I felt a presence with me. Not like a ghost, but something…more real.

"Hello?" I called out, only to hear my voice echo through the field. "Is someone there?" My voice continued to ring throughout the empty field. It appeared as though I was talking to myself once again, but deep down I knew that wasn't true? Building the courage I continued to speak. "I know someone's here. You don't have to be afraid…" As I looked in front of me I could feel myself losing hope. Maybe I was crazy. But as though I acted from my heart, I lifted my hand with outstretched fingertips in front of me. A breeze sent a chill across my wrist, causing my fingers to flinch. But all of a sudden a burst of energy rushed through me, starting from my fingertips moving up my arm. A bright white light flashed before my eyes, causing me to shield them with my forearm. My body fell backward as images flashed before my eyes. Standing before me in this vision was the stubborn brunette with brown eyes, Lea.

" _You're such as asshole" she laughed, a grin stretching across her face, revealing a white smile. "How can you guys be so mean to Sam like that? I mean, yeah, it's Sam, but still. Doesn't he deserve some pity points?" Lea turned around as she walked further through the field. I could tell that I was seeing everything from someone else's perspective, but whose? How was I seeing this? They jogged to keep up with her as she continued to speak._

" _So, what's next? A secret ambush on Julian? Another rope trap set for Ryan? My personal favorite was when you guys took Brett's clothes while he was out for a swim" she chuckled, her white smile shining brightly as she turned around to look in my direction. She slowly came to a stop and looked out to the pink sky._

" _Thanks for everything today. It really beats having to put up with Pan's demands. It's just nice to feel like a normal teenager sometimes…" Lea raised a brow. My God, she acts like she's all stressed…She literally does nothing but watches everyone from a distance. "'Course I can't say I've ever really been a normal teenager I guess." Her eyes fell to the ground before looking back to the sky. My view was fixated on her as she looked out the sky. It's strange how it feels as though all of this was actually real._

My heart skipped a beat when all of a sudden the same white light flashed before me, blinding my eyes as I fell backward, hitting the rough grass and ensnaring myself in tufts of weeds. I grunted and exhaled a heavy breath in an attempt to center my breathing. However, my breathing only seemed to get heavier as I examined where I was. I sat alone in the field with nothing before me except for the sun that was nearly set, just sitting slightly above the horizon. A swift breeze blew strands of my long blonde hair in front of my eyes. Something was going on here. I wasn't crazy.

"Who are you?" I spoke loud and clear, my voice still echoing through the field. I began to grow frustrated, for I knew I wasn't being delusional. Whatever was happening was happening for a reason.

"And why did you show me that girl, Lea?" I called out in question, still wondering why I had seen her in some sort of cliche flashback sequence. It's insane to think that she can still haunt me even when she's not around. But that thought made something in my head click. Something obvious that I didn't realize until just then made a shiver race up my spine. I was dreaming. None of this was real.

A heavy wind began to roar through the trees and grass, whipping my golden locks everywhere. My stomach dropped, and as I closed my eyes I reopened them to find myself shooting up from my bed with beads of sweat dripping from my forehead. I gasped as the sharp pain shot through my body, making me unable to breathe. In a panic, jumped up from my bed and stood up. Shuffling over to the vanity, I tightly grasped the edge of it and attempted to inhale and exhale as best as I could. The world and everything around me appeared fast and jagged. I could feel a hot flash coming, just creeping up from my wrists.

Hannah, just breathe.

Breathe…

My forearms began to tremble and I squeezed my eyes shut. My head started to pound like a beating drum and I felt the fear consume me. My body was filled to the brim with a darkness I couldn't escape from.

" _Hannah, honey, you need to breathe."_

I could hear her tender voice speaking to me. But my body continued to ignore my pleading thoughts. My god, why won't my body listen to me?!

" _Sweetheart, I need you to do this for me, okay?"_

God, please! Make it stop! Goddamn it Hannah, breathe! I was now out of air and unable to breathe. I was suffocating and there was nobody that could help me.

 _Everything's going to be okay…Just trust me…_

I grit my teeth and took a sharp breath in before letting it out slowly. The world around me appeared to slow down and my racing thoughts ceased. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I maneuvered through the dark hut back to my bed before throwing myself of the warm sheets. Well, that was a blast from the past…I breathed slowly as I brought my head to my pillow, my eyes feeling watery and dry at the same time.

I used to get panic attacks all the time as a child—

And my Mom was the only one who knew how to handle them.

 **Jake's Perspective:**

There's no way to describe how sickening it is to hear someone you care about scream your name at the top of their lungs in desperation and agony. When you hear the fear in their voice…you can never forget it.

Even if it never actually happened.

 _Her body dangled off the side of the cliff, helpless, holding onto a single outstretched branch. My feet moved as fast as they would carry me; right, left, right, left, inhale, exhale. My heart pounded in my chest as beads of sweat dripped down my face._

" _Jake! Jake, help me!" Her shouts and cries got louder and louder the closer I neared. I exhaled heavily as I pushed myself to run faster. I was almost there. Just up ahead I could see the sparse trees, and beyond that, the cliff that she held onto for dear life. At the bottom of the cliff, which the Lost Boys knew of well, was hundreds of sharp rocks that would slice your hand if you so much as poked it with the tip of your finger. It was now that I passed the sparse trees and found myself out in the open, standing in front of the rockslide. "Jake, please hurry!" her desperate voice pleaded._

 _Looking about myself I headed in the direction of the voice and threw myself onto my knees. My fingertips rested on the edge of the rock and soil as my head swung over the side of the cliff. A few feet below the edge I was met with her earthy brown eyes full of fear and trauma. Reaching my hand down over the cliff as far as I could I tried to grab her hand._

" _Jake, please! I don't want to die!" She begged as her eyes began to water. "I'm not ready to die!" Her breaths were heavy and her arms began to shake._

" _Everything is gonna be okay! I've got you!" I exclaimed. "I would never let anything happen to you," I assured her, looking straight into her eyes that reflected the light of the Neverland sun. My reach was just short of her hand, so I stretched my hand to its absolute farthest it could. "You need to let go of the branch" I grunted as I could outstretch my arm no further. From the look in her eyes, she doubted my judgment._

" _Jake, I can't—"_

" _Yes, you can. You can do this!"_

 _Exhaling heavier I grunted once more in frustration. She was at my fingertips. Seeing the doubtful expression on her face I spoke._

" _You're just gonna have to trust me." I had all of my faith in her that she could do this. Scrunching her eyes she quickly let her left hand go from the branch and grabbed the fingers of my outstretched hand. It was then that the snapping sound of the branch echoed through the air. Her body fell from the branch as her fingertips slipped through mine. Her eyes were wide as she fell through the air. She screamed at the top of her lungs._

" _Jake!" My body trembled in fear and disbelief._

" _Lea!" I screamed aloud as her body plummeted toward the sharp rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Every moment was slow and painful. Her arms clawed at the air as her long brown locks rippled in the falling wind. I quickly looked away toward the trees beside me. Her screams suddenly came to a halt. Gathering myself I looked below me to find myself in horror. I couldn't describe what I saw. My heart burned and tears streamed down my face._

 _She was at my fingertips! I let her fall! I let her die! My stomach was uneasy and I could have easily thrown myself off that very same cliff. And actually, that's what I did. My stomach flipped several times as my body plummeted toward the sharp rocks. But before I could meet my deserved fate my world went black._

My eyes shot open.

I laid in my bed with sweat dripping down my face.

"Jake! If you don't get your ass outside and start working I'm going to make you wish you were never born!" My father shouted from the kitchen. Truly, never gets old…I sighed and rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands. These nightmares I've been having seem to have no end. The last time I even remember dreaming had to have been at least a month ago. Some days I don't even bother confronting my father. Nothing has changed. Gail told me to find a different ending, but there aren't any other endings.

I had no desire to work, nor speak to my father today. I felt completely exhausted—physically and mentally. It's come to the point where my father doesn't scare me as much as he used to. After experiencing him for as long as I have my emotions have begun to fade. Nothing has meaning anymore…

My eyes closed as I sank deeper into my bed. Exhaling a heavy breath I clenched my sheets in my hands and turned over on my side. Why can't all of this be a dream? Just one, big, awful nightmare that would soon end? Lord knows I'm not _that_ lucky…I sighed and nuzzled my head into my warm sheets. Deep down I knew that if I didn't find a lead on how to get out of here I would go insane.

As if I wasn't already insane…Just talking to myself like I'm my own best friend…

I could feel myself drifting off as I began to feel light-headed. My fingertips grew numb and my thoughts wandered. I sank even further into my bed and released one last sigh.

When I reopened my eyes I was blinded by a golden light and a cool breeze dancing across my skin, creating patches of goosebumps along my arms. The air was otherwise warm and oddly familiar. Observing my surroundings I instantly knew where I was. I was standing in the field of Neverland where Lea and I hung out all the time. There were so many good memories here…So many hours spent chasing each other, watching the stars…Was I actually having a good dream for once?

A sudden shuffle of weeds caught my attention, startling me. As I turned around to investigate the source of the noise my jaw dropped slightly in awe. In front of me was a girl with golden blonde hair facing the opposite direction, slowing walking through the field. I hardly moved nor breathed. Where the hell was I? Was this real? How is this happening? I slowly and carefully approached her, one step at a time. It would appear she wasn't aware of my presence. She suddenly stopped walking and stood in her place, her eyes scanning the field.

My heart beat a thousand times a minute. Who is this girl? And how is she in Neverland? I continued taking small steps toward her until I stood directly behind her. My heart began to pump even faster as I raised my hand to her shoulder, lightly tapping it. Suddenly, she turned around to face me,her bright blue irises looking right at me. I gasped in shock at her sudden reaction to me. I spoke to her in a calm voice.

"What are you doing here? Who are—"

"Hello?" She questioned aloud, cutting me off. "Is someone there?" Her blue and green irises scanned the field several times.It was in that moment that I realized she wasn't looking at me. She was looking _through_ me. I was invisible to her. And it was obvious she couldn't hear me either. She had this certain curiosity emanating off her. Her pin-straight blonde hair fell down past her shoulders toward her elbows. Her face was composed of a small nose resembling a button, defined cheekbones, and a strong jawline. Her cheeks held the slightest hue of pink, complemented by a few scattered freckles.

I wanted to speak, but my mouth wouldn't let me. There was no point. She couldn't hear me, so why bother trying? She continued looking straight through me, tilting her head in confusion.

"I know someone's here," she said. "You don't have to be afraid."

My eyes widened. Could it be true? Did she know I was here? Or was it a coincidence? I watched as she lifted her hand in front of her, outstretching her fingertips. Her eyes glimmered with the setting sun. With caution, I slowly lifted my hand towards her, stretching my fingertips to their furthest ability. I was reluctant and nervous; God knows why. But in the pit of my stomach I somehow just…knew. I knew that something was going to change.

And it did.

The moment our fingertips touched a bright white light flashed before my eyes. Air forcefully escaped my lungs, leaving me breathless. When I forced my eyes open my lips parted and my eyes opened. In the very same field, I saw a girl full of curiosity, bliss, and adventure standing before me. Her brunette hair held loose waves just as I remembered it. And her eyes…her eyes…were just as full of wonder as I had always seen them. But as she spoke I had realized that she wasn't actually here. It was a memory from a long time ago. Everything was exactly as I remembered it, and I re-experienced it all.

" _You're such as asshole" she laughed, a grin stretching across her face, revealing her pearly white smile. "How can you guys be so mean to Sam like that? I mean, yeah, it's Sam, but still. Doesn't he deserve some pity points?" Lea turned around as she walked further through the field. Her grin was still visible even as she faced away from me. I jogged to keep up with her as she continued to speak._

" _So, what's next? A secret ambush on Julian? Another rope trap set for Ryan? My personal favorite was when you guys took Brett's clothes while he was out for a swim" she chuckled, her white smile shining brightly as she turned around to look at me. It's crazy that I've forgotten how bright and uplifting her smile is, or was. She slowly came to a stop and looked out to the pink sky before us._

" _Thanks for everything today. It really beats having to put up with Pan's demands. It's just nice to feel like a normal teenager sometimes…" Lea raised a brow as she eyed me. "Course I can't say I've ever really been a normal teenager I guess." Her eyes fell to the ground before looking back to the sky painted with pink and orange hues. While she looked at the sky my eyes were fixated on her as they were the day this took place. It's strange how real a memory can feel to someone. But at the same time, as my eyes observed her rosy cheeks and stray pieces of dark hair framing her face, it brought back the same dread in my heart. For I knew that if I was truly in hell now, she must be suffering a different fate. And God knows that it was my fault for not protecting her._

At that moment, the same white light flashed before my eyes. When I reopened them, I witnessed the blonde girl laying on the ground propped back on her elbows, breathing heavily as her bright blue eyes scanned the area in confusion. It was then that I began to wonder…Did she just see…my memory?

"Did you just see that?" I asked aloud. The girl stood up from the ground as her eyes hectically scanned the field. It seemed that she still couldn't see or hear me, but from the look on her face, I could tell that she had just witnessed everything I saw.

"Who are you?" The girl spoke loud and assertive as she observed her surroundings once more. "And why did you show me that girl, Lea?" A look of concern was plastered across the girl's face. But what concerned me most was what her last words were. She _knew_ Lea. There truly was a new girl in Neverland, and she knew of Lea! She must be okay! My god why can't I just talk to this girl?! Why is the universe pinned against me? I took a step towards the girl in an attempt to try and find a way to talk to her, but I flinched in surprise when in an instant her entire being disappeared into thin air.

No…No!

I blinked my eyes as I heard the familiar shouts of my father. I shot up from my bed and looked around me. The day had started over once more. What had I just done? Did I find a flaw or a cheat in the cycle? As I continued to mull over things in my head a strange memory surfaced.

 _Gail raised a brow._

 _"The perks to not being dead or alive; you're almost like a ghost. Except you can only contact through or see people's dreams. It's really hard to contact people in their dreams who are outside of Preternal Neverland. I've never been able to do it."_

No way…

I think I just saw that girl's dream… _outside_ of Preternal Neverland…For me, this was a big deal. If I can find a way to contact someone from Neverland…I might just have a way out of this hell. The thought of being able to get back to Lea made me fill with a new motivation. That memory was the closest I've felt to being with her in what seems like forever. I'm going to do it again. And once I get out of this living hell…

I'm going to run a blade right through Hook's cold, non-existent beating heart.

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Wow, I actually updated twice in one month…0.o Hope all is well! I'm so glad I got another chapter done in a respectable amount of time! Lol, does anyone even read these author's notes? Comment "Brett's a baguette" if you do (I'm a curious bean LOL). Anyways, what'd y'all think? What's going on with Hannah and Jake? Was it real? Was it fake? Let me know your thoughts and predictions in the comments. I hope you liked the chapter and I'll see you in the next update!

-Agm3


	15. Chapter 15: The Pied Piper

Chapter 15: The Pied Piper

 **Pan's Perspective:**

"What do you mean they know our _weakness_? Who?" I eyed Lea with a concerned expression, narrowing my eyes in confusion. Her eyes fell away from mine as she watched a group of Lost Boys walking together outside through the window.

"Don't pretend you don't know…" Lea spoke under her breath as her gaze fell back to me. "They were gathering resources in large groups over on the West side of the island. You damn well know they only have one reason why they'd be getting specific resources from all the way on the opposite side of Neverland." Her voice was now stern and her expression was cold. "And we both know they wouldn't be having the captured Lost Boys doing their dirty work if they weren't planning something important." Lea trailed off as her eyes fell to the floor. Many thoughts circulated through my head. I stood up from my bed and walked over toward the window, glancing out and seeing several groups of Lost Boys goofing around and acting the way teenage boys usually do.

"How many captured Lost Boys?" I asked. "Be honest." Usually, when she told me how many there were I could tell she was bluffing, as to not hurt me as badly. But I knew better than that. Things had tremendously worsened over the last two months. Off the top of my head, I knew we had lost eight boys in the past six weeks. Earlier on it was harder to notice who went missing and when, but now that the numbers have decreased so drastically, we all panic if someone shows up to a meal or a training practice five minutes late. At this point, I knew we were outnumbered. It was just a matter of accepting it.

"Eighteen," she answered, "I counted eighteen. They were scattered amongst the fields, collecting these odd roots and berries. I think you get my drift…" As I turned around Lea sat now with her legs crisscrossed on my bed, continuing to twiddle her fingers. Her head hung low as she sighed.

"They're preparing to finish the job" I spoke, my breath hitching. Speaking now with more concern, I continued, "They're gonna ambush us, right when we least expect it. They're just waiting for the right moment." I clenched my fists as Lea noticed my frustration.

"That's not all," she said, "I'm convinced there's more to it."

"Why do you say that?" I questioned, the slight twinkle in Lea's eye slowly fading. Her eyes looked into mine with this sense of hatred and betrayal.

"Someone here is a scout. I can tell. The pirates know our every move, and it would be incredibly easy to disguise anyone here as being normal and uninfected by their magic. They've been under our noses, lying to us." At first, I couldn't quite wrap my head around what she was suggesting. But after a moment of mulling it over, I began to believe her more and more.

"Who are you suggesting?" I cocked a brow as she eyed me with a suggestive glare.

"Who do you think?" Her tone grew dark along with the shade of her irises. I knew exactly who she was accusing. I also knew that there was no way it could be true.

"Come on, you know Hannah isn't a scout for the pirates. She's not overly trustworthy or anything—"

"That's what they want you to think, Peter!" Lea cut me off and stood up from the bed. She approached me as she gestured with her right hand. "Think about it, a random girl shows up, and nobody knows where she came from. She's incredibly unskilled and inexperienced, making you pity her. For all you know, she could be pretending to be weak."

I scoffed. "You really think _she_ would be smart enough to pretend to be weak? Yeah, right." I paused for a moment. "She isn't pretending. When it came to a life or death situation, she picked death. She wasn't strong enough to get herself out of it on her own. She's just some sort of fluke." It was now that Lea raised a brow.

"Hmm, a fluke? Tell me, how often do you just happen to have a "fluke" in Neverland, Peter. Tell me." Thinking to myself for a moment, I chuckled.

"Well, technically _you_ were a fluke." As I laughed she glared into my soul. But after a few moments, she lightened up. She took a casual step back from me.

"I wasn't a fluke. I could actually fight for myself, and I was pretty decent at it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here." After a few shared chuckles, I spoke up about something.

"You know, you should lighten up on her. She's not a threat to you. Maybe you two could be like " _besties"_ or something." However, as those words left my mouth something snapped in Lea. Something that was deep inside her core. Something I, nor anyone, could see.

"If you think I will as much as breathe the same air as that bitch, you're wrong" she exclaimed. She stepped towards me with a certain fire emanating from her eyes. "I don't make friends with the enemy. And I certainly don't make friends with fakers like her." Her sudden outburst didn't make surprise me, but nor can I saw was it wasn't unsettling.

Well, that escalated quickly…

I knew that these two girls having this teenage animosity certainly wouldn't bring any more peace to the camp as it was. Girls were never something the Lost Boys, or I, really understood. Girls expect you to agree with what they say, even if they're wrong. Because even if they're wrong, they're always right. Some weird science, I know.

"You don't have to like each other, you don't have to be friends. I honestly don't care. But if you feel so strongly in your suspicions then why don't you just keep your eye on her from a distance? Just make sure she doesn't get into any trouble." Lea rolled her eyes and exhaled a heavy sigh.

"Great, so now I get to play the role of _"secret babysitter"_. I know when something's off Peter. And she's got it written all over her. I'm not willing to take risks anymore. Not after everything that's happened to us…to _me_ …"

It was then that my mouth could no longer form words. In a way, Lea was right. We can't afford taking risks. All it's ever done in the long run is kick us while we're down. And for her, trusting someone would be the equivalent of throwing herself off that waterfall when she was petrified of heights.

"Just promise me you'll at least try to keep the peace, please? That's all I ask for." Her eyes fell to the floor, causing pieces of her long brunette hair to fall in front of her face. "Please…"

After releasing a heavy sigh she slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll do my best to keep peace…But the moment she comes after me I won't hold back. Got it?" Her eyes met mine with a questioning glare. I nodded my head while she gazed out the window once more. "I should go…" she said. I furrowed my brows in curiosity.

"Go where?" I questioned, my voice growing more concerned. She shrugged casually and looked back to me.

"I'll go hunt or something. I can't sit around here doing nothing. It'll drive me nuts," she said. She began to head towards the door before I grabbed ahold of her right forearm.

"Wait," I spoke. "Please don't leave yet. The boys have missed you more than you know. Plus, I can't let you be on your own again while everything is falling apart. I can't abandon you like that. I won't." To my surprise I could see the slightest bit of a smile in the corner of her mouth, just threatening to escape. "Please, just stay at camp until this all clears up" I begged her. She rested her eyes.

"You know it won't. You know this isn't something that's just going to go away" she spoke quietly to herself. I released a soft sigh.

"I don't know when things will clear up, or if they will, honest to God. But one thing I know for sure is that I want one of our best fighters here to help. Maybe you could help train the boys and get them back into fighting shape? We've been slacking since all of the disappearances" I suggested. With slight hesitance, Lea looked back over her shoulder at me and nodded. She turned back towards the door and left my hut without another word. I sighed once more and threw my body onto my bed. Closing my eyes, I played through so many scenarios of how these next few days could go. Most of them were negative and ended in tragedy, but there was this small glimmer of hope in one scenario, where everything had turned out _okay_. But I knew that was as much a fantasy as Camelot or Wonderland.

That night I barely slept. I tossed and turned, opening my eyes every few minutes to check if the sun had yet risen. But every time I did so I found myself distraught that morning hadn't come quick enough. I sighed as I opened my eyes once more to find my hut pitch black. I laid deeper into my bed. Why can't the night be over yet? My patience had now grown thin to the point where I saw no use in trying to sleep. I sat up and threw my legs over the bed, feeling my feet touch the cool floor. I stood up, hearing my back crack and my muscles relaxed. As I quietly crept toward the door I picked up the small, dark violet pouch laying on the vanity. Careful not to make a sound, I quietly opened the hut door and slipped out, closing it behind me without a sound in the night.

The fire had mostly died out, except for a small puff of smoke dissipating into the air. I walked quietly, being sure not to snap any twigs with my footsteps. I walked through the camp, heading towards the forest where I wouldn't bother anyone. As I did so, my eyes fell upon the hut Hannah slept in, the old hut that used to belong to…someone else. Every time I walked passed it sent chills down my spine, along with a sense of remorse and guilt. But another question still lingered in my mind—one I could not answer myself. Out of all people in this universe, why was Hannah somehow brought here? Everyone knows that only lost children can find their way to Neverland. But something must have glitched, or she slipped through a crack in the system somehow…It doesn't take a genius to tell that she hasn't gone through the things us Lost Boys have. She isn't lost. She isn't one of us. And what was most perplexing of all was, how the hell _did_ she get here?

By now I was just leaving camp and wandering into a deep part of the forest. It was relatively dark, except for small strands of moonlight that shone through the trees. The cool, light breeze was relatively relaxing. When I happened upon my usual sitting rock I pulled the purple pouch from underneath my arm. Sitting criss-cross upon the large gray boulder, I opened the purple velvet pouch and reached inside, pulling out my most cherished pan flute. Each pipe was hand-crafted from the most beautiful and rarest bamboo. The sounds that I could create with it couldn't be replicated by any other pan flute in the world. That's why it was so special to me. Any time I brought it to my lips, I felt as though I was home. Blowing into the pipes, I created unique and song-like melodies that rang through the cold island air.

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

My head laid upon the warm sheets, still feeling foggy due to my recent episode. I could now breathe without an issue, though I still felt nervous about getting amped up over anything. It had been a long time since I had a panic attack, and I certainly didn't want to push it. However, there was something off in the distance that caught my attention. At first, I just thoughts I was hearing things. But when I kept hearing it, I knew I wasn't crazy. There was music somewhere. I could just barely hear it. It was soft, light, and airy. Despite my recent episode, the curiosity inside me was too much to bear. I quietly opened the door to my hut and slipped outside without a sound. The cool air made me shiver at first, but after a few moments, my body became accustomed to it. The music continued to play, but it was still quite soft. You'd really have to be listening for it to hear it. I stood for a moment to try and detect what direction it was coming from. After a few seconds, I had determined that it was coming from behind me. I turned on my heels and began to follow the peaceful melodies. I moderately walked through the woods, the quiet music slowly becoming more apparent. As I neared the edge of camp I grew uneasy, but by now I knew I could figure out a way back.

The music continued on as well did I. I couldn't quite describe what it sounded like, other than the sound of a flute came to mind. Except it wasn't a normal flute. This was unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was more unique. I continued following the music. It grew progressively louder, telling me that I was getting closer. It was to the point now where I knew I had to have been close. The light of the moon lit my way through the forest, allowing me to see the leaves blowing in the trees. When I laid my eyes upon the source of the hypnotic music I was stunned. Facing the opposite direction of me was Pan, sitting cross-legged on a rock while playing what appeared to be a pan flute. I could tell it was him, due to the tufts of mahogany hair swaying in the light breeze. He was hunched over with his elbows on his knees, continuing to create wispy and calming music.

I stood behind a tree near me, leaning my back against it. As I rested my eyes, I just listened. For some reason, as much as I hated this boy, his charming looks and all, I couldn't help but have a particular fondness for the melodies that he played. They were soothing, almost as if my troubles just slowly melted away. I dozed off as I continued listening. My breathing slowed and I was fully relaxed. I couldn't help but wonder why he was up this late, playing his music in the middle of the night. Maybe the Lost Boys weren't joking about him being nocturnal after all. Being so lost in my thoughts, I hardly noticed that the soothing music had stopped. In wonder, I peaked my head out from behind the tree and saw the empty rock where he previously sat. I shrugged my shoulders, turning back around when a hand suddenly covered my mouth. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that the person holding their hand over my mouth was Pan. I began to speak before he hushed me.

"Shh!" he whispered, "You're gonna wake everyone up!" His eyes looked directly into mine, not losing eye contact. He slowly pulled his hand away from me.

"Says you! You're the one playing music in the middle of the night!" I spoke in a hushed tone. He gave me a sort of funny look.

"You could hear it?" He questioned, taking a small step back. I raised a brow in confusion.

"Yeah, along with everyone else who isn't deaf. The hell are you doing up this late?" I asked, another breeze sweeping through the trees. He cocked a brow for a moment before shaking his head.

"I could just as easily ask you the same, as well as ask you why you were spying on me. You should be asleep. And you shouldn't be out here alone." I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"First off,I'm a big girl. I don't need a royal escort everywhere I go. Second, if I should be asleep, then so should you. And third,are you telling me that if you heard mysterious music in the middle of the night that you wouldn't try to figure out where it was coming from?" I asked honestly. Pan lightly chuckled.

"You make a good point," he said. I smirked before pushing myself from the tree. Pan's face furrowed. "And where do you think you're going?" He interrogated me as I began to walk through the forest. I turned my head to look at him as I continued walking.

"I don't know. Wherever the wind takes me I guess." I turned my head when a few seconds later Pan caught up to me and put his hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"Nuh-uh, you're going back to your hut. Now" he demanded, as though he thought I cared about his opinion.

"Since when did you become my Dad?" I grunted. Pan rolled his eyes with a raised brow. He stopped in front of me to block my path.

"My island, my rules. Visiting hours have ended." He crossed his arms and stood authoritatively. He eyed me with a mischievous look on his face, his brows still raised.

"Then when in the heck are you guys gonna let me explore? There are miles of this island I haven't seen. And like it or not, I am going to see every last bit of it" I assured him.

"Does the bottom of that lagoon count?" Pan responded cheekily. "Because if so, that can be arranged." I glared at him, soon after rolling my eyes. My tongue in cheek, I snarkily chuckled.

"Very funny. But last time I checked, you just sit around moping in your hut. It seems like I have more of a social life than you." I stepped around him and started to head even further into the forest. I was a good ten feet away from him when whisper-yelled in my direction.

"How about a compromise, then?" Pan suggested. I stopped in my tracks and turned around to face him. Crossing my arms, I spoke.

"I'm listening." Pan thought for a moment before speaking.

"How about if you start training with the other Lost Boys, I'll start showing you around the island. Would that satisfy you?" He questioned. I sighed as I pondered over his offer.

"What, still don't think I can handle myself? I've been working hard, I have you know. You wouldn't wanna cross me in a dark alleyway, that's for sure" I snickered.

"I'm shaking," Pan replied in a monotone voice. "No matter how good you think you are, there's always something new you can learn. Plus, it would be really nice to not have to watch over you acting like a five-year-old. That's all I'm offering." It appeared to me that no matter what I did, this would probably be the only way Pan would stop getting on my ass about everything. I sighed.

"Despite how obnoxious you are, and because it seems to be the only way you'll quit pestering me about it, I'll start training or whatever with other Lost Boys. But you have to hold up your end of the deal." With a serious expression, I held out my hand. "Deal?" After a few moments, Pan stepped towards me, slowing raising his hand.

"Deal." Pan grabbed my hand and shook it firmly. As he did so his eyes were locked with mine, his dark green irises glowing with this sort of curiosity. He released his grip and shooed me away. "Now go on. I'll catch up in a minute" he insisted. I thought about pestering him again, as it was just so fun, but I decided against it.

"Fine, night mate." As I turned around I just caught a glimpse of Pan rolling his eyes. I think I've found the thing that really sets him off. Who knew Australian jokes would be so entertaining? As I headed back to my hut, all I could think about was how good of a fighter I would soon become. I'll show him, I'll show all of them, that they never should have messed with me. Plus, any extra time I can in get being a pain in the ass towards Pan was an added bonus for me. I still wondered though why Pan was out here this late at night. I guess I was just too distracted to pester him. Whatever, I'll find out eventually. I was now met with the door to my hut. I opened it quietly and slipped inside. With a big yawn, I threw myself on the bed that was still surprisingly warm. It wasn't long before I drifted back off to sleep.

 **Pan's Perspective:**

I watched as Hannah traveled back through the forest until she was no longer in sight, disappearing within the large trees of green. I exhaled a heavy sigh as I sat back down on my usual boulder. All of a sudden, I began feeling certain drowsiness begin to overcome me. I rubbed my eyes with closed fists, reopening them widely. I sighed once more as I stood up. Beginning to walk back towards camp the same reoccurring thought kept attacking my mind. I checked my belt to make sure that I still had my pan flute with me. What many people don't know is that my flute is very special, it's enchanted. It's the reason why it's so haunting yet enhancing. The fact that Hannah was listening to the music was somewhat perplexing to me. Sure, it's not that peculiar that Hannah listened to me play—

Except for the fact that only lost children can hear the sounds of my pan flute.

—

A.N:

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry it's been over a month since I last updated. Finishing up school for the year and holidays have left me with barely any time to write. But alas, I've been pushing through these last few days, staying up late writing, and I've finally finished it. Anyhoo, what do y'all think? Why do you think Hannah could hear the music? Why do you think Hannah is in Neverland? Why does Lea despise Hannah so much? Let me know all of your thoughts in the comments. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all in the next update!

-Agm3


	16. Chapter 16: Target Practice

Chapter 16: Target Practice

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

The curtains were closed shut on all of the windows in my hut, leaving the room nearly pitch black except for a few beams of light that shone through the exposed cracks. It was a relatively comfortable room to sleep in. It wasn't hot, nor was it cold, but the perfect temperature to just doze off. All seemed relatively nice and cozy. Or, that was until a loud knock sounded from the door. I ignored it and shut my eyes even tighter. I was in that mindset of being half asleep, half awake, but I hoped to fall back under to recover from last night's rendezvous. When the knocking continued, I shouted aloud in a raspy voice, "go away!" For a moment, the knocking stopped. I figured that I was finally left in peace. Suddenly, the door swung open, light pouring into my hut all at once. I hissed as the light shone into my sensitive eyes. Several boys piled into my hut, all screaming and shouting things like "good morning!" and "rise 'n shine, princess!" Quite obnoxious if you ask me. My voice still groggy, I shouted.

"What the hell is going on?!" I raised my hand to cover my eyes and quickly enclosed myself in my blankets like a suit of armor. "Don't you know you can't barge in on a girl? I could've been naked for God's sake!" The boys chuckled as I heard the voice of Brett speak.

"We wouldn't mind," he said cheekily. "You could put on a show for us." Lifting my head above the blanket, I stared daggers into Brett's yellow eyes. I contemplated firing back a sarcastic comment, but I was too tired, and frankly too annoyed, to think of one. "Training starts in fifteen minutes, darling. So why don't ya get up from your cave and get something to eat?" Brett continued. I rubbed my eyes with my closed fists and sighed.

"Mother of—"

"Ah, ah, ah," Brett cut me off. "I don't believe that's how a proper lady would talk now, is it?" My fists tightened even more as I released an annoyed and exhausted groan. Standing up from my bed I began to raise my voice.

"Would it be too much to ask for some _privacy_?" I spoke through gritted teeth. Acting as though they had no idea they overstepped a boundary, the Lost Boys stepped back towards the door.

"Well, of course. We didn't mean to get all up in your space. We just figured it would be nice to wish you good luck on your first day of training, that's all." I narrowed my eyes. Yeah, sure it was, right after they throw a snake on my bed or something to scare me. I gotta remind myself to make a lock for that door, or I'll never survive here. One by one, the boys fled from my hut, laughing and snickering as they did so. The last one to leave my hut was Felix, the boy with long, shaggy blonde hair and a quite defined scar that was stretched along his face from his brow bone to his chin. We locked eyes for a short, yet uncomfortable moment. It wasn't a hateful, nor friendly glance, but it definitely felt peculiar. Sure, I was probably overanalyzing it, like I always do, but it just gave me a weird and unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. He broke eye contact and left my hut, shutting the door behind him. I rested my eyes and exhaled a heavy sigh. For once, I was actually feeling kind of hungry this morning. I hadn't really eaten breakfast since I got here, but at the moment I felt like it would do me a lot of good.

After I had gotten dressed, I left my hut and walked out toward the fire where there were several baskets sitting on the ground, filled with things like apples and berries. Reaching toward the basket with the apples, I pulled one out, shining it with the bottom of my shirt. The apple's outer skin was a deep crimson red with the early morning sun shining onto its surface. It was so shiny I could see my reflection in it. Looking at myself in the reflection of the apple, I realized that I'm really not a morning person. I looked like a heroin slash meth addict, and not in the cool, gangster way either. Bringing the apple to my lips, I bit into its hard exterior, the sweet smell entering my nose. Raising a brow, I scoffed in surprise. It was a Macintosh red apple. Macintosh's had always been my mom's favorite, though I never particularly cared for them. I like the sweetness of Gala apples, whereas my mom loved the tart taste of Macintosh's, even though you're not really supposed to eat them on their own without cooking them into something. But for some reason, I liked the taste of the apple as I continued to bite into it. It sort of reminded me of home in a strange way.

"What are you talking about? She's totally into me" a Lost Boys' voice said from around the fire. As I looked over to the fire I saw about four boys talking to each other.

"You are so full of crap. She would never be able to pass up on all of this" a boy with dark hair and freckles spoke, gesturing to his entire being with his hands. Are they talking about me?

"Both of you are complete bimbos. She's way too hot for you guys. Plus, she could totally beat you guys up, whereas I at least have a fighting chance in a duel against her" another brunette boy spoke cockily with a raised brow. Did the Lost Boys actually think I was a good fighter? I mean, them talking about me being hot is just plain gross, but did they actually think highly of me?

"You three stooges have got it all wrong. Lea wouldn't go for boys younger than her. She wants a real man, like me" a red-headed boy declared. Of course. They were talking about Lea, also known as "Little Miss Perfect". How do they not see right through her? I rolled my eyes and groaned. Their hormones are probably so off the wall that they wouldn't know the difference between a woman and a stuffed bear. I continued to eavesdrop on their conversation. The dark haired boy spoke up.

"Dude, you're only a year older than us." The three boys all shared a speculative look toward the red-head as he stood up.

"That's one more year of experience I have with the ladies. Watch, she'll be all over me in no time. I bet I'll have her wrapped around my finger before lunch. You'll see." The red-head walked away from the fire and joined up with a few other boys walking into the forest. One of those boys included Julian, who locked eyes with me within a few seconds. His blue irises stared directly into mine. I shot him a snarky expression, not forgetting that the last time I trusted him he set me up for humiliation. His facial expression grew somber as the red-head shoved him in the arm, causing him to break eye contact. They disappeared into the forest. More boys began to follow shortly behind them. As I finished up my apple, I threw the core into the fire and followed the boys into the forest.

They traveled along a narrow trail covered in leaves and twigs. I followed shortly behind them, feeling slightly anxious as to what to expect. After only a few minutes of walking, I noticed a large huddle of boys congregating in a clearing just ahead of me. There were large tufts of tall grass and archery targets hanging in rows on trees. It was a quite impressive training area if I did say so myself. Boys chattered and joked all around until suddenly the crowd began to shush each other.

"Look who showed up for training" a familiar voice spoke behind me. When I turned my head I was greeted by Sam's hazel eyes and shining grin.

"I figured it was about time to start integrating myself into the group. You know, try to be more _friendly_ " I explained. With a raised brow, Sam eyed me.

"Well, this is definitely a good opportunity to challenge yourself. Who knows, maybe you'll find out more things you didn't know about yourself." My brows raised in confusion.

"How so?" Sam shrugged his shoulders as he looked off into the group of boys.

"Your strengths, weaknesses, motivators, anything really. You'd be surprised what you'd find out about yourself" he spoke, his grin fading into a soft smile. I grinned lightly back at him, only for our attention to be drawn to the boys before us. Their rowdiness started to die down. The crowd of boys began to split for the person of importance making their way through the mass.

"Looks like our trainer is here," Sam said as he nudged my shoulder. I glanced over, trying to see beyond the group of boys watching in awe. When they stepped aside, before my eyes was the cloaked Lea, walking through the crowd with a powerful stance. Her bow was wrapped across her body and over her shoulder. Her eyes locked with mine until I pressed my palm to my forehead.

"You have got to be kidding me" I groaned aloud. She raised a brunette brow and eyed me.

"This isn't my idea of fun either" she scoffed, her hand resting on her hip. "Tell me, what do you know about defending yourself against pirates? What's the golden rule?" She questioned. I felt dozens of pairs of eyes on me, waiting for me to answer her question. Every boy had fallen silent as they observed our conversation.

"Punch them in the throat?" I answered more like a question. I could hear faint snickers and chuckles as Lea turned away from me.

"Wrong" she declared as she spoke with authority. I began to speak.

"How is that—"

"'Don't get caught' is the golden rule…If you get caught, you're already dead" Lea said as she turned to look me in the eye. "Say they don't kill you immediately or take you hostage, what's the next step?" She interrogated. Lea had now stepped toward me, her face only a few inches away from mine. I exhaled and thought for a moment.

"Pull your weapon" I responded, fairly confident in my answer. Lea chuckled.

"You better hope you don't come face to face with a pirate" she scoffed. The Lost Boys continued to observe our conversation with the utmost attention. I exhaled heavily and clenched my jaw.

"Always have a plan before acting. If you blindly draw your weapon without any sort of clue as to what you're doing—" she paused. "You're already dead."

The forest fell silent except for the chirps of robins in the distance. As much as I think Lea is about as likable as sandpaper, she was right about having a plan before acting. But there isn't anything in the world that would convince me to say that out loud. Lea finished her lesson. "Get the picture?" She said, her dark eyes fixated on me. With a clenched jaw and closed fists, I shook my head. A smirk appeared in the corner of her mouth where she turned and spoke to everyone. "Today will be about accuracy" she announced. "One arrow could make the difference between you being dead or alive. And it's my job to prepare you to always be accurate without question." She eyed all of the boys until she raised her voice. "Alright ladies, grab a bow and partner up."

At that moment, boys scrambled to partner with their best friends. I was afraid at first that I'd have to partner up with someone new, but Sam turned to me with a raised brow.

"Whatya say, partner?" He said with a grin. I rolled my eyes and chuckled and we both grabbed a bow from the trees nearby.

"Ah, ah, ah," Lea stopped me, walking up from behind. "Only _one_ of you will need a bow" she claimed. I eyed her suspiciously, wondering if she was actually considering to do what I suspected. I groaned as I put my bow back and walked toward the targets with Sam.

"Those of you with bows will stand fifteen feet from your designated targets." Lea walked along the row of boys holding a basket on her arm, pulling out apples and handing them to the boys who didn't have a bow. My eyes widened as I turned to Sam, who didn't seem overly worried. I guess I would much rather have to rely on Sam than have to have Sam rely on me. He has way experience with this kind of stuff. I'm fairly confident he's an accurate shot. Lea now stepped in front of Sam and I with the basket swinging on her forearm. She reached into it, pulling a shiny red Macintosh apple and tossing it up and down in the palm of her hand. When I reached out to take it from her she caught the apple and pulled it away from me. I shot a confused look her way as she turned to Sam. She extended the apple out to him.

"You're gonna be the target today, Sam. Wouldn't be fair for her to have _two_ apples today…" with an eyebrow raised and a tiny smirk Lea handed the apple over to Sam, who then handed the bow to me. Lea moved on to the other boys as Sam turned to me.

"Did you eat an apple out of one those baskets this morning?" He asked in a hushed tone. I shrugged.

"Yeah, so? What's the big deal? There wasn't food anywhere else" I said. Sam sighed and shook his head.

"Look, it's just one of her pet peeves. She picks those apples every morning for training and hates it when we get into them. I know it sounds stupid but just trust me" Sam explained. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Okay, whatever. I won't do it again. Why you guys just let her boss you around is beyond me." Sam shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head.

"She's very respected. She knows what she's doing. Just give her a chance, will ya?" Shaking my head in distaste I heard Lea call out.

"Alright, if you have the apple, stand in front of the wooden target. If you have the bow, just stay put." The boys did as she instructed. Sam turned toward the target but I grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Sam, I don't think I can do this. I literally have zero experience with this—"

"Hannah," Sam cut me off. "Relax. This is what you're here for; to get better. It will all be fine." Sam pulled away from me and walked towards the target. Though he was trying to encourage me, I could tell he was about ten times more nervous than I was by the sweat accumulating in his palms. As I looked down the line all of the boys had placed their apples on their heads. By the time all the boys stood in front of their targets Lea had begun to call out once more.

"Alright Danny, you're up first." Out of her quiver, Lea pulled a handmade arrow and handed it to Danny, who stood far down at the end of the line. He swiftly drew the string back to his cheek and eyed his target.

This literally isn't happening right now…

I watched as he exhaled a heavy breath and released the string, the arrow flying through the air. An audible whoosh of the arrow rang throughout the forest. It pierced the apple and wedged itself into the tree. Boys all-around cheered and celebrated Danny's impeccable accuracy, for it was quite gut-wrenching. Lea continued down the row, handing each boy an arrow and expecting them to fire at the apple on their partner's head. Every once in a while I would glance over at Sam, displaying my obvious fear of what was to come. But he continued to assure me from a distance that everything would be fine. Before long, Lea stepped toward me holding an arrow in her hand.

"Think you've got what it takes to be a Lost Girl?" She questioned me, her brows arched and a slight smirk forming in the corner of her mouth. She held the arrow out toward me tip-first. I opened my hand, allowing her to lay it in my palm. The wood felt smooth and sturdy as if it was specially crafted with time. Lea stepped back from me and folded her arms. Eyes were locked on us as I stared at the apple sitting on Sam's head. With a slightly shaky hand, I held up the boy and pulled the arrow back on the string. The apple seemed a million miles away now that the arrow was close to being released. I exhaled and waited a moment for the shakiness in my body to stop. I adjusted the bow to the best of my ability and began to release the string. When I did so, I felt a rush of wind swish past my cheek. I observed the arrow as it flew through the air. When I blinked, however, I heard a scraping sound ring through my ears. The arrow had scraped the side of the tree and was lost in the bushes. I sighed heavily. I missed, but at least I didn't hit Sam, right?

The boys surrounding us stayed silent. I glanced over at Lea who just had a blank expression. She pulled another arrow from her quiver. "Try again" she instructed, handing me another arrow. Taking it from her, I put the arrow on the string and pulled it back to my cheek. In the distance, I could hear slight murmurs and chuckles from a few Lost Boys that seemed to find humor in my frustration. Peeking out from the corner of my eye, I saw that it was two boys, one with black hair and the other with blonde. Both had dark eyes and had faces similar to that of a chipmunk. I tried to shake them out of my head, but their quiet, snarky comments echoed in my head as if they were being blasted through a microphone. My jaw clenched. They find this so funny? Let's see if they find this funny.

I jerked myself to the side and released the arrow in their direction. Before I could even think about the possible consequences the arrow was already soaring through the air. For a moment, the boys' faces lit up with utter disbelief and fear. That was, until another arrow shot through the air, shattering the one I had fired just before it could impale them. The arrow launched into the tree beside their heads. Several of the boys gasped in surprise. I turned my head and witnessed Lea standing with her bow in her hands, an expression of rage consuming her. Her footsteps were loud as she stormed over toward me. Taking me off guard, she threw me against a nearby tree and held her forearm across my throat. My bow had fallen to the ground and I found myself defenseless. I began gasping for air.

"Is this some kind of joke to you?" She hissed at me. Her eyes were almost black as night at this point. Her forearm pushed tighter against my throat. "You have got to learn to control yourself, you hear me?!" She shouted. "We do not fire at our own! Not under any circumstances!"

"They were being complete assholes" I barely choked out. "You can't blame me for standing up for myself—"

"Standing up for yourself isn't firing at anyone that judges you! If you just did things right they wouldn't judge you. And whether you like it or not they are your family. They are all you've gotten. _We_ are all you've got. You're here for us, we're here for you." I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Just because your family dumped you doesn't mean my family dumped me. At least they care about me" I snarled. And at that moment a look of hesitation and confusion crossed Lea's face. She furrowed her brows and threw her arm off of me. I choked on the fresh air and inhaled deeply. With her back turned to all of us Lea called out.

"Training's done for today boys." She stormed into the woods without another word. Boys watched as she walked away from us and they suddenly turned to me, eyeing me with confusion and distaste. The boys I had fired at looked at me with fear and discomfort. It wasn't long before all of the boys dispersed and headed back towards camp. I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me turn around. Behind me was Sam who handed me the apple and held his head low toward the ground. He walked past me and disappeared into the forest. So there I stood all alone. I was the villain. I was the bad guy. Exhaling another breath, I shut my eyes tightly and reopened them to see Julian standing off to the side.

"What do you want, to embarrass me again?" I spoke distastefully. My eyes looked to him for a moment but fell back to the ground. I began to hear his voice quietly speak.

"Will you please just give me five minutes?" He paused. "That's all I ask. Then you can decide whether or not you want to talk to me ever again." He looked to me, his bright blue eyes emanating in desperation. "Please." I thought to myself for a moment. I guess what do I really have to lose at this point. Everyone else hates me because they think I'm a psycho. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded my head. It wasn't long before Julian and I began to walk along a narrow path through the woods, the green vegetation and bright sunlight shining through the trees. I wasn't quite sure what kind of excuses Julian would make up, but I knew that no matter what, I needed to keep my guard up. Because trusting anyone here is probably the most difficult challenge of all.

—

Hello all. I know it's been such a long time since I last updated, and I sincerely apologize for that. It makes me so sad that I haven't updated in five months. There's been a lot of stuff going on in my life recently. Heck, I'm graduating in a week, I've been taking care of health stuff, I've been auditioning to get into college, and overall I've just been trying to survive senior year. Again, I can't express how disappointed I am with myself that I haven't updated in so long. I know personally I get super annoyed at writers that don't update in forever and you wonder whether or not they abandoned their book. I am here to say that I have not and will never abandon this book, period. This story has a wonderful place in my heart and I desperately want to share it with all of you. I would never give up on you guys. I absolutely adore writing this story and I will stop at nothing to create an escape for you all to just get lost in a happy place of Lost Boys and Peter Pan. I will do my absolute best to make up for all of the lost time. Thank you all so much for sticking with me throughout all this. Maybe I can explain the craziness of my life someday haha. Also, thank you all for the positive messages you send me. It really gets my butt into gear. If you notice it's been a few weeks since I've updated FRICKEN BUG THE HECK OUT OF ME. Like I give you all full permission to just spam me because I can guarantee it will get my busy butt to work. Also, it's just super nice having all of your support and I appreciate it so much. Anyhoo, what do y'all think of this chapter? Sorry if you have to go back and reread a chapter or two since it's been so long. Honestly, I have to do that too sometimes. What did you think about Hannah firing her arrow at those boys? Do you think she was right? Do you think she will forgive Julian? Let me know in the comments. Don't forget to let me know if you enjoyed the chapter! I hope you all can forgive me on taking forever to finish this chapter up. Remember, KICK MY BUTT INTO GEAR IF YOU HAVE TO. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I will see you all in the next update! It's great to be back!

-Agm3


	17. Chapter 17: Up in Flames

Chapter 17: Up in Flames

 **Lea's Perspective:**

I stormed through the forest with steam practically blowing out of my ears. My heart was pumping and my fists were clenched, my fingernails digging into my palms. I was swallowing my anger as it continued to course through my veins. What a little bitch. One of these days she's gonna get herself killed. Or worse, she's gonna get one of us killed. I was now faced with the entrance of the camp where I looked up to the guard towers.

"It's just me, guys." Soon after I spoke two heads peeked out from above.

"Oh, hey Lea" the boys greeted me as I gave them a small salute. I passed through the entrance and stormed immediately towards Peter's hut. Standing outside his door I began pounding my fist against it.

"Nobody's home" Peter shouted in a mocking tone. I grunted and immediately barged the door open. Peter was sitting on his bed sharpening his knife. He seemed, at first, a bit startled by my aggressive entrance. I slammed the door behind me as he raised a brow.

"Your little pet almost just killed two Lost Boys" I hissed, irritation evident in my tone. "She turned a weapon on them with the intent of taking their heads off." Peter's eyes stared at me for a moment until he resumed sharpening his knife.

"And this surprises you because…?" He responded cheekily. My eye twitched as I took another step towards his bed.

"Did you not hear what I just said? She nearly compromised the Lost Boys' safety! On purpose! All because of a few mutters from a couple of Lost Boys. It's ridiculous!" I exclaimed as Peter continued to sharpen his knife. He tilted his head and raised a brow.

"You know—" he paused, "her determination to not be looked at like a piece of meat kinda reminds me of you when you first got here." Peter looked away from his knives and his dark green eyes met mine. I scoffed.

"Yeah, except I was able to prove it, whereas she has about as much coordination as a mule" I spoke with distaste. "I just don't know how to deal with her" I admitted. Peter set his knives down in front of him on his bed and patted the open seat next to him. I sat beside him and leaned my back against the wall.

"Listen, maybe we just need a way to motivate her" Peter started. "Make her realize what exactly she's fighting for."

I couldn't quite wrap my head around why Peter was putting so much faith into her.

"I don't see why we can't just send her back where she came from," I said. "She obviously doesn't want to be here. And if she has such a loving family then why did she end up here?" Muttering under my breath I released a heavy sigh.

"See, that's what I was thinking too" Peter commented. "But I've come to realize that she isn't here by just some sort of accident…" he said quietly. My brows furrowed and I looked at him questionably.

"What are you talking about?" I interrogated. "She literally came out of nowhere. Your shadow has been gone for years. There's nobody that would have been able to bring her here—"

"But you don't understand" Peter cut me off. "Something brought her here. We have to figure out why." I scoffed once more.

"Why are we putting so much energy into her like she's the chosen one? She's a bratty teenager with an ego problem. She's asking for trouble—."

"She heard me play my pan flute" he interrupted. I tilted my head in surprise. But she couldn't possibly…That doesn't make any sense. Everyone knows that only _lost_ children can hear the music of the pan flute. Instantly my eyes widened and I shook my head.

"No…that's not possible. She—"

"She heard me, Lea. In the middle of the night. There has to be a reason." Pan looked to me with an expression of complete seriousness. He must be losing his mind. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He might fall for her charade, but I won't. Peter sighed.

"Just give me a few more days. Then we can figure out what to do with her. I just need to figure out what got her here. But in the meantime, I need you to just not kill her, alright?"

Peter eyed me with large eyes. I leaned my head against the wall and shut my eyes. I bashed my head against the wall a few times.

"You do realize it will take an immense about of strength within me to not throw her off a cliff, right?" I groaned, clenching my fists and burying them into the mattress. Peter smirked.

"Well you _are_ strong enough, aren't you?" He mocked. I rolled my eyes and scoffed, looking back to him to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, well it would've been a ton easier if you would've just given me the—"

"No, Lea. We're not talking about this again—" Peter cut me off. His eyes grew darker and his expression became more serious. I continued to plead with him.

"But Peter, I can barely stand it any longer. I'm going insane. Can't you please just—"

"Lea" Peter stopped me as he grabbed a hold of my shoulders. He shook my body vigorously. "I'm not going to let you do that to yourself. I won't let you turn into me." Suddenly a surge of fury ran through my body and I couldn't control my anger.

"I'm already turning into you!" I exclaimed, pulling his hands off my shoulders. "All I hear are screams and cries in my head. They won't leave Peter! I can't stand it anymore!" Peter's expression grew more and more concerned. I began to breathe heavily and sporadically. Peter grabbed a hold of my hands again.

"Shh, Lea, you have to fight it on your own" Peter insisted. "I know it's hard, but I can't let you just throw your emotions away. I made that mistake. I won't let you make it too." I could feel my body begin to shake as the screams grew louder and louder. Lost Boys' cries echoed in my head, bouncing off the walls and nesting themselves in my brain.

"Peter, I don't know how much longer I can take it…" I whispered. "I don't know how we can fix anything at this point. Don't you think we're too far gone?" I asked, looking straight into his eyes, practically staring into his soul. To my surprise, Peter shook his head.

"I won't rest till Hook is dead. He's taken too much from us Lea, you know that" Peter said. My eyes left his as I stared out the window.

"Killing Hook won't bring them back." I sighed heavily and rubbed my eyes.

"But it would free the Lost Boys that have been captured" Peter replied confidently.

"So what do you suppose we do?" I questioned. "Seeing as last time things didn't exactly go to plan." I turned back towards Peter as he thought to himself.

"We just need to look at everything from a new perspective" he suggested. "Hook discovered our weakness; using our Lost Boys against us. Now we need to figure out his weakness and use it against him." I eyed Peter with a curious expression.

"The only thing I can think of is his drinking problem" I groaned. Peter shook his head.

"Every enemy has a weakness. We just need to find out what's gonna make him crack. There's got to be something we're missing."

"Then I'll go out and take a look at what I can. I can spy and see what else they're—"

"No, Lea. We need you here, training the boys" he cut me off. Rolling my eyes, I chuckled.

"You can't tell me what to do. If it's answers we need then I'm gonna do everything in my power to—"

"Seriously Lea," Peter interrupted once more. "We can't risk losing you too. Hook will turn you into a killing machine if you get captured." I raised a brow and laughed.

"Peter, I'm practically already there." He shot a glare at me and stood up from his bed. "And besides, as long as I wear the locket Hook's magic is useless on me. Or at least, that's how it worked last time."

"You really wanna take that chance?" Peter questioned darkly. "Then at least take—"

"I work alone, Peter. I won't drag anyone else into this. I've been able to handle being on my own long enough. I can protect myself." Peter sighed and he rubbed his eyes with a closed fist.

"Do what you gotta do…" he said. "Leave Hannah to me." When I began to stand up he stopped me.

"But you gotta do something for me" Peter spoke, looking back down at me. "You need to stop being on the outskirts. You're back home with us. The Lost Boys have missed you." I eyed him.

"Forgive me if I'm not exactly the most social person right now. I don't exactly fit in like I used to." Peter furrowed his brows.

"What are you talking about? Of course you do. You're-"

"Family. I get it, I get it" I cut him off.

"Would you at least start sleeping in the huts again? You don't have to sleep outside all the time like a cavewoman."

"It's just what I'm used to" I replied honestly. "And I am _not_ a cavewoman" I scowled before releasing a light chuckle. Peter smirked.

"Just stay in Hannah's hut. I'll find somewhere else to put her" he continued. My eyes instantly widened.

"You can't expect me to stay in there" I exclaimed. "That used to be—"

"Yes. I know. But you're gonna have to face it some time or another Lea. In order to get better, you're gonna have to start overcoming these things. I know you can do it." I groaned, resting my head in my hands and rubbing my temples.

"Fine…" I grumbled. I stood up from his bed and began to head out the door. As I walked through Peter's hut, my eyes glanced over towards his medicine cabinet filled with bottles of light blue liquid. I paused for a moment and stared at all of the vials. I knew that one swig of that stuff would cure my mind, my emotions. But Peter would never allow it.

"Do you ever miss them?" I asked, continuing to eye the cabinet. "Your emotions." Peter was quiet for a moment until I heard him release another heavy sigh.

"Yes and no."

I nodded my head and raised a brow. I left his hut with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feared that next time I wouldn't be able to keep myself at bay. I was practically already one of Hook's slaves. My emotions were just another weakness of mine for him to toy me with. It was only a matter of time before I cracked.

 **Hannah's Perspective:**

"I never meant to hurt you, Hannah. It was a dumb idea, really dumb. I shouldn't have done it. And I would take it back if I could." Julian walked beside me as he constantly apologized.

"Did you just not have any faith in me? Did you doubt me that much?" I questioned, turning my head to look at him. Julian's blue eyes looked at me with sincerity as he spoke.

"No, I didn't doubt you. I still don't. I just—I thought that if you were guaranteed a win that your confidence would skyrocket and you'd have a whole new outlook on everything here. I was afraid Brett would hurt you. He doesn't always know when enough is enough" Julian explained. A small piece of his dark hair fell in front of his bright eyes, still holding a glassy reflection in them. I stopped walking and stood on the path.

"Listen, I appreciate the concern, but I'm a big girl, and I can fight for myself," I said harshly. "But if you wanna do me a favor, then I can just put all of this aside and forget it ever happened" I offered. Julian's expression perked.

"I'll do whatever you want," Julian responded, "if it proves to you that my apology is sincere." I nodded my head.

"Oh, trust me. It would." Julian eyed me cautiously.

"Well, what is it?" He asked, a curious expression crossing his face. I thought to myself for a moment before deciding that I knew exactly what I wanted.

"Lea…how do I beat her?" I questioned. A look of confusion crossed Julian's face.

"Beat her?"

"Yes," I spoke with energy. "How do I get her to stop treating me like a child? How do I prove to her I'm just as capable as she is?" Julian stood as he processed my question. But before he could answer I had already thought of an idea.

"That's it…" I said under my breath as my eyes fell to the ground for a moment." I looked back to Julian. "You're gonna help me beat her in a duel. One that isn't rigged. You can train me for hours every day. Just help me beat her" I begged.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Hannah. This is ridiculous. Lea is on the same team as us. She's just a little rough around the edges, that's all." I, however, remained persistent and continued to counter his argument.

"I don't care. As long as she sees me as weak she will never treat me the same as you guys. Somebody has to show her up." Julian looked at me as though I was crazy.

"Who says I could even beat her? I don't know how to train you to beat her if I can't beat her myself" he explained.

"Well, who _has_ beaten her?" I questioned. Julian paused for a moment and licked his lips before speaking.

"Pan."

Then maybe that's my answer.

"Do you think maybe Pan would consider—"

"Oh, no, no, no, no. No way. Pan doesn't train anyone. He's only ever trained a few—"

"Great. Sign me up." I continued to pave my way to getting what I needed to beat Lea.

"You're not listening to me, Hannah!" Julian exclaimed. "There are more serious things going on here than just some teen drama." Julian began to walk along the path again.

"Then quit treating me like I'm an outsider" I yelled. I stormed in his direction and stopped in front of him. "Let me help you guys instead of just keeping me on the sidelines." I could feel my heart pumping and thumping in my chest. I was finally letting my emotions surface. "Let me be important for once…" I said quietly. All Julian could do was stare into my eyes. He exhaled and rested his eyes.

"You're right, okay? You deserve to be able to help. But right now, you shouldn't be concerned about Lea, alright? Just put it on the back burner and let it motivate you." Julian's voice was sincere and soft. I could tell he was speaking from the heart. "Let's start heading back to camp, alright?" Julian suggested. He turned around on the path and began heading back towards the camp. I followed suit and walked beside him.

"What exactly are all of the Lost Boys training for anyway?" I inquired as we passed by the training area. Julian shrugged his shoulders.

"My guess is as good as yours. But if I had to ask my gut, I would say that something important is going to happen soon, and Pan wants us ready for it." My eyes watched the ground as we crushed the fallen leaves and twigs with our footsteps.

"Do you still question why I'm here?" I asked. "Like, why and how I ended up here?" Julian smirked and shook his head.

"Not really, no." I then raised a brow.

"Really? How come?

"Well, it doesn't really matter what brought you here. Same goes for the other boys. You're part of the family." Julian grinned. I could feel a slight grin creeping up on my face as well. Maybe not everyone cares about my background as much as I thought they did. My mind was wandering until my nose was confronted by the smell of something burning. Not just a campfire smell, but like a full on burning smell. When I looked up from the path I noticed not too far ahead of us was a large cloud of black smoke.

"Julian!" I exclaimed in fear. He too looked up from the ground and examined the smokey air.

"What the hell?" He questioned aloud as he began running into the smoke cloud.

"Julian, no!" I screamed. I latched onto his arm only for him to pull free from my grip. I stood petrified in front of the cloud of smoke. I couldn't possibly dare to go near it. A few moments later Julian came running out of the cloud.

"It's just a tree that caught fire," Julian said. "There's nothing we can do about it, we just gotta get around it" he explained. Julian grabbed ahold of my forearm before I yanked it back.

"No," I said with worry in my tone. "I won't go near that thing, we'll go up in flames." It was now that I could feel my hands begin to shake and my throat began to tighten.

"Hannah, we'll be fine. We gotta get back to camp before we can't see where we're going" Julian continued. But I wouldn't budge. I continued to stand my ground.

"Julian, I'm not going anywhere near it. There has to be another way." He looked to me in confusion once more.

"If you want to play hard then fine." I became uneasy when Julian picked me up and threw me over his shoulders.

"Julian! Put me down, now!" I shouted. But Julian ignored me and began to run into the cloud of smoke. "Julian, no!" I yelled. I kicked and threw my arms but Julian continued to run. My vision became darker and darker and it became hard to breathe in the smoke.

Oh no…

Not this feeling again…

My heart raced and I struggled to breathe. Everywhere I looked around me was almost black, but Julian managed to run through it all. Off to my right, I could just see a large ash tree that was burning bright with yellow and orange flames. I could feel the hot air against my cheeks as I began to scream. I shut my eyes and clenched my fists. It was all coming back to me. I couldn't contain myself. I could sense Julian beginning to slow down, only making me more nervous and anxious. But to my surprise, when I opened my eyes the smoke began to clear and we were well past the burning tree. Julian stopped along the trail and put me down, his lungs out of breath. I stumbled back onto the ground as I looked off in the distance. I too was trying to catch my breath, but for a whole different reason.

"Are you okay?" Julian asked, his voice a bit raspy. "I didn't want us getting separated back there" he explained, noticing my lack of energy. I coughed a few times and cleared my throat, shaking my hands and wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." Julian eyed me hesitantly.

"You sure aren't a huge fan of fire are you?" Julian questioned with a sort of curiosity. Still trying to catch my breath I replied.

"You could say that." It was now that my breathing became more calm and steady. Julian looked in the direction of the burning tree.

"I wonder what the hell started _that,_ " he said.

Well, I'd rather not stick around to find out. You know what they say, curiosity kills the dumb teenage boys. Or at least, that's how it is around here.

"C'mon, we better get back soon" Julian nudged me. He turned his back to the fire and walked along the trail. Taking one last glance at the fire sent shivers down my spine. I jogged to catch up with Julian as we made it back to camp.

 **Hook's Perspective:**

I watched as the girl and boy walked out of sight along the trail leading back to the Lost Boys' camp. Looking off into the distance I marveled at the burning tree I had just set up in flames not too long ago. Seems to me like that girl isn't very fond of fire, hmm? Well, maybe I should send her a little present courtesy of Captain Hook? After all, I never gave her a welcoming gift. How rude of me…

Oh…

This is going to be fun…

 **?'s Perspective:**

Several more days had gone by now. It was hard to keep track of exactly how many. I lost count after a few weeks. I had already gotten my morning punishment; six lashes to my back with a whip, a few kicks to my stomach, and a few cuts to the head from his hook. As an added bonus, he gave each member of his crew a turn to hit me. It came as a shock to me that none of my teeth had gotten knocked out yet. I mean, who needs teeth on a ship that gives you a couple of bread rolls as your daily meal? My mental state has gotten to the point where I could care less about what happens to me. Dying wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. What was there to live for anyway? It was hard to say why they still kept me alive. Maybe as bait perhaps?

The deck wasn't as crowded as it usually was. Typically there'd be at least ten or so crew members walking about, but there was only one at the moment. He sat only a few feet away from me, leaning against the wall of the ship. His responsibility was to watch me and make sure I stayed put while all of the other pirates congregated below deck. Pfft, as if I had anywhere to go. We were out at sea, or at least we were the last time I was able to see above the edge of the ship, which must have been days ago.

"You know, even with all of the blood and bruises, you're still a pretty little lady," the pirate said as he took another swig of whiskey. His long greasy hair was stringy and matted, falling about shoulder length. Several of his teeth were either rotted or missing, making his breath that much more enjoyable. The smell of alcohol used to make me gag as it was extremely potent, but after being here for so long my nose has gotten used to it. I chose not to respond. I really wasn't in the mood for yet another slap to the face due to another sarcastic comment that would slip from my tongue. My knees were numb from sitting on them so much. My hands were tied to the mast in front of me. I honestly could tell you the last time I stood up and walked. The pirate began muttering to himself, in which I decided to just tune him out. It's a shock this ship hasn't driven me to insanity yet. If it hasn't happened by now, it sure wouldn't be long before I ended up like them. All of this pain, all of this torture, all because I wouldn't turn my back on my friends, my _family_. I loved them so much. I could never betray them like that. Even though I've been the victim of much betrayal, I couldn't fathom the idea of me betraying a loved one.

By now my thoughts began to wither into nothingness except for listening to the sound of the waves. It felt as though I had been on auto-pilot for what seemed like forever. It wasn't until I heard a certain sound that I was knocked out of my daze. I heard the distinct sound of snoring from beside me. I turned my head to witness the pirate on watch duty fast asleep, holding the open flask in his lap and a knife in his hand that laid on the floor. For a moment, I pondered. Was it worth a shot? Could I pull it off? What would I do if I succeeded? These thoughts raced in my head until I heard the pirates below deck, hollering and shouting. If I was going to do this now was the time to make a move. I pushed myself off my knees and attempted to stand, but I had no sense of balance whatsoever. Instead, I sat with my legs in front of me, inching my right foot towards the pirate's knife. I moved ever so slightly as to not make a sound. I eased my way and outstretched my leg as far as it would go. I could just touch the tip of the knife with my heel. Resting my eyes, I slowly inhaled and relaxed, doing my best to concentrate. I lifted my heel and rested it on the knife, attempting to pull it towards me. The first few times I couldn't get it to catch, but after a few more attempts I caught the blade under my heel and was able to inch it toward me. The blade scraped across the deck, causing a clinking sound to fill the air. I moved slowly, as I was afraid to wake the pirate. But every few inches I was closer and closer to my freedom. I slid the knife next to me and soon slid it forward towards my hands. I began to shake them to get the feeling back, a tingling sensation tickling my palms. Reaching my fingers as far down as I possibly could, I reached my fingertips toward the blade and picked it up, turning it around in my hand. I began to saw away at the ropes that imprisoned me for several weeks. The moment the rope was cut and fell to the floor my wrists felt a sudden chill from the cool breeze. They felt so free. But with that, they stung like hell. They had been rubbed raw from the tightness of the ropes. The blood stains on my wrists barely made the actual wounds visible. I was stunned to feel the freedom in my hands. This very moment was the most important part of my potential escape.

I stood up slowly and carefully. It was suddenly that in my attempt to stand I fell against the mast beside me. I held on with a firm grip in my fingertips. My legs could barely hold my weight. They had lost all of their strength. I knew that this could potentially get me killed. There was no way I'd have the strength to swim. I began to lose all hope. That was until I looked beyond the edge of the boat. There, only about two hundred feet in front of my face was the island. It was so close. I was so close to my freedom.

Using my upper body, I lifted myself and grasped onto the edge of the boat and looked towards the water. There was a small dingy tied to the side close enough to lower into the water. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have to swim after all. Grabbing the knife from the floor, I began sawing at the ropes that held the dingy in place. One rope after another, I cut the dingy free as it fell into the water below. Now was my chance. Mustering all of my strength, I lifted myself onto the ledge of the boat and stared at the water below me. Exhaling another breath I let go of the ledge and began to plummet towards the ocean. I felt the air flying through my hair and the refreshing breeze against my skin. A loud thump rang through the air as I landed inside the dingy. My body instantly felt out of place. I was using muscles in my body I hadn't used in forever. My breathing was still heavy as I grabbed an oar that was lying beneath me. Picking it up, I practically threw it into the ocean, beginning to paddle towards land. All felt like a dream until I heard the sound of the door on the upper deck slam open. I began to paddle faster and faster, the anxiety festering inside of me.

"Where is she?!" I heard a distinct voice shout. It only motivated me to paddle faster. I was now in the zone, left, right, left, right. Nothing could stop me. Or at least, that's what I thought until a gunshot rang throughout the air. I turned my head back for a moment, looking toward the ship. I watched as a body was flung overboard, more specifically, the body of the pirate that was responsible for watching me. His still, lifeless body now floated in the Neverland sea. I turned my head back toward the island and paddled faster, faster than I ever had before. The sharp rippling of water caught my attention beside me. One after another, bullets flew through the air in my direction. The loud gunshot sounds began to fade slowly into nothing. Everything around me became slow as molasses, including my thoughts. What was I to do? I got this far, I couldn't give up now, could I?

No. I can't give up now. If I'm going to die, I'm going to die trying. I may be lost, but I'm not hopeless. I am strong. I am fast. And Hook won't see the last of me. I won't let him. Not after everything he's done. He's gonna rot in hell, and I'm going to make sure of it. Loosening my grip on the handle of the oar I dove straight into the water below. The water's cold temperature sent a shock through my body. It seeped into my fresh wounds. I couldn't quite tell if the cold water lessened or worsened the pain. And honestly, I couldn't remember the last time I had bathed. It seemed as though I had a hundred layers of dirt on my skin. Underwater, all I could hear was jumbled waves. All I could see was blue before me. What became alarming was the bullets that continued to dive through the water. Mustering up all of my energy, I began to swim beneath the surface. Bullets fired left and right as I did my best to avoid them. I could feel my muscles burning, writhing in pain. My heart felt as though it could give out at any moment, but I continued to swim. Memories flashed before my eyes, horrible memories. Each and every scream and shout pushed me further. My lungs felt deprived and my stomach felt sick. I needed sweet, fresh air so desperately. As my vision began to go dark my hands smacked into a lump of soggy sand. I pulled my weight as much as I could, feeling my entire body slide across the land. After a moment, my head resurfaced and I gasped for air. The warm sunlight shone across my face into my eyes and refreshing air filled my lungs. Spitting up water and coughing out particles of sand I clawed my way onto the shore, just clinging on to dear life. Trying to find a way to control my breathing, I looked about myself and examined my surroundings. In front of me was the familiar forest, filled with miles of green. The waves crashed against my feet, retreating back into the sea every couple of moments. I turned my head to the side and looked back to the sea. There was Hook's ship, off in the distance in the middle of the ocean. It amazed me that only an hour before, I was on that ship, listening to the shouts and hollers of the drunk sailors. But now, I was here. I was back on land.

I _escaped_ Captain Hook.

I chuckled to myself as I stood up on my knees.

"I'm home…" I spoke to myself with a smile. "I'm home…I'm free!" I laughed to myself as I felt a tear run down my cheek. But it was now that the mental pain, as well as physical pain, began to set in.

Now what?

I escaped Hook, but what was I to do now? What was there for me to accomplish? All of a sudden, a sharp, stinging pain shot through my body. I hissed in pain as sand began to seep into my open wounds. I attempted to brush some sand off, but it was no use. I need to get to the forest. I needed to get back to camp, or at least what's _left_ of it. Putting one foot in front of the other, I tried to stand up. And while I was standing for a moment, it quickly ended when I face-planted into the hot, grainy sand. I groaned in pain. I still wasn't strong enough. Getting back on my knees, I crawled across the shore to the beginning of the forest. Each time my hand touched the sand I hissed in pain. It was a slow process, but I finally made it to the end of the sand when I latched onto a large palm tree. I attempted to pull myself up once more, this time actually succeeding. I gripped onto the tree and eventually stood all the way up, feeling a bit woozy and unbalanced. My legs began to shake beneath me. One foot in front of the other, I gripped and pulled myself along trees to make my way through the forest. Every step was more painful than the last. I somehow managed to string myself along like this for a while. But once my vision began to blur it became hard to focus on anything.

 _"You're weak…"_ The disgusting voice of Hook echoed in my head.

 _"You'll never make it…"_

 _"How could you think you were actually strong enough to escape me?"_

Shut up…

 _"You'll just be another one of Pan's who was claimed by the great Captain Hook…"_

My grip began to slip from the tree I held desperately onto. I could feel my anger slowly simmering.

"Get out of my head…" I just barely choked aloud, a slight whimper in my voice.

It was now that my vision was spinning. I could barely tell where I was. Lucky for me, I could almost smell it. I could smell the sweet Birth-roots that grew along the outskirts of the camp. I could hear the familiar peaceful chirping of the birds. The smokey aftermath of the campfire always made me feel at home.

I was close…

When I fluttered my eyes to see, I let go of the tree I was previously clinging onto. I stumbled for a moment before I heard the sound of weapons being raised. Through my spotty vision, I looked up to the sky to find myself facing a large wall built of bamboo and other raw materials. There was a small opening only a few feet wide that served as an entrance with two guard towers on each side. When I examined the guard towers, I noticed a Lost Boy in each one, holding weapons in my direction. My heart-rate continued to slow. My dirt-covered shaky hands dripping of crimson blood slowly raised in surrender, showing that I intended no harm. Who knows if they would trust me at this point? I sure as hell know I probably wouldn't. After a moment, the Lost Boys lowered their weapons in shock and question. Looking towards the entrance of the camp, my eyes locked with a Lost Boy walking within the walls. When he got a glance of me through the opening in the wall he stopped in his tracks, full of disbelief and question. I could see his hazel eyes gleaming in the sunlight. His shaggy brown hair was just as it was the last time I saw him.

"Sam—" I just barely croaked out before collapsing to the ground, feeling the soft grass brush against my skin. My eyes were only able to see a set of feet sprinting in my direction as well as several other pairs beginning to congregate around the entrance of camp. My vision continued going in and out every couple of seconds. I could feel my body being lifted onto someone's lap at this point. It was now that I could just barely hear Sam's voice. When my vision came back slightly I watched as tears streamed down his face.

"We thought you were dead…" he sobbed as he held me tight. He kept repeating that line over and over. "What has he done to you?" He questioned. More tears streamed down his cheeks as his voice became full of fury. But it was at this point that I could no longer move. I could no longer blink.

"Somebody get Pan! Now!" A Lost Boy shouted. Sam began to shake my unmoving body.

"No! Don't leave us. Everything is gonna be okay. Don't close your eyes" Sam begged. But I had no control over this. My eyes became heavy as though they were tied to cinderblocks. The last thing I remember seeing out of the corner of my eye was a set of bright green irises staring at me in amazement and denial.

—

A.N:

Yay, I updated in a somewhat reasonable amount of time for once! Let's hope I can stay on track haha. I'm leaving for Scotland in a few days so maybe that will give me some time to write. Anyway, what did you guys think? Do you think Lea has a right to be mad? What about Hannah? Is she overreacting? And what's Hook up to now? And who the heck is ?'s perspective?! Will any of these questions be answered in the next update? Maybe, maybe not. Guess you'll have to wait and see :) Don't forget to comment your predictions! See y'all in the next update!

-Agm3


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